


Sydrian One Shots

by spaztronaut



Category: Bloodlines Series - Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-04-17 11:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4665507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaztronaut/pseuds/spaztronaut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Sydrian one shots. There will be fluff, angst, drama, kissing, AU's. Whatever ideas I have. And, if you want, send in a prompt and I might use it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Table of Contents

**Chapter 2: Blue Flame**

Adrian is jealous, but Sydney forgives him when he shows her the surprise he got her (AKA Adrian gives Sydney cars to get her attention).

**Chapter 3: Voicemail**

Rose finds out about Sydney and Adrian's relationship because Adrian is handsy and Sydney is distracted.

**Chapter 4: Pink Blanket**

Sydney isn't the only one in for a surprise when Adrian breaks her out of reeducation. (Part 1 of the Pink Blanket AU)

**Chapter 5: Hero**

Inspired by a picture on the Official Bloodlines Facebook page of Adrian carrying Sydney out of a fire.

**Chapter 6: Pie**

Pie, kissing and a very confused Brayden.

**Chapter 7: Lace**

Jill and Rose convince Sydney to go lingerie Shopping for Adrian's birthday.

**Chapter 8: Present**

It's Christmas and Adrian only wants one thing from Sage. For her to have dinner with him, of course. Why? What were you thinking?

**Chapter 9: The Talk**

Rose apologizes to Adrian for everything that happened between them. (Companion to Ch. 19 of Of Magic and Misery)

**Chapter 10: Drunk**

Drunk and jealous!Sydney and protective!Adrian. On New Year's Eve. You're welcome ;)

**Chapter 11: Woken**

Jill deals with the consequences of her lingerie scheme. (Sequel to Ch. 7 - Lace)

**Chapter 12: Goodbye**

Sydney is rescued from Reeducation, but has a very important goodbye to give before she can live happily ever after with Adrian.

**Chapter 13: Books**

Sydney is called to the Moroi Court when Abe comes across a mysterious set of books that seem to tell Sydney's future. Weirder still, that future seems to be linked to Adrian Ivashkov, of all people.

**Chapter 14: Masterpiece**

Sydney and Adrian discuss having kids.

**Chapter 15: Pink Pony**

Adrian paints Adrianna a surprise. (Part 2 of the Pink Blanket AU)


	2. Blue Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian is jealous, but Sydney forgives him when he shows her the surprise he got her (AKA Adrian gives Sydney cars to get her attention).
> 
> *This scene takes place during a trip to Court for Sonya's wedding. Sydney and Adrian are still not speaking at this point because of the fallout from the kiss.*

The Alchemists had decided that since I was being requested at Court for Sonya's wedding, they should send a second alchemist as back up. Or, as Ian had said at the airport when I'd picked him up, "to keep you company in the lion's den."

He didn't realize how little I needed or wanted the company of another alchemist right now. It was a nice gesture on their part, but the Alchemists were the only ones I was afraid of, not the Moroi at Court. Ian's presence was only going to wreck havoc on my nerves. I couldn't even talk to any of my friends with him around. Even when he wasn't in the room, I was always afraid he'd walk in or find out somehow. And he'd only been here for a few hours!

My only saving grace was that Adrian wasn't here yet. I could only imagine how he'd treat Ian, or me, once he got back. He'd gone off on his own right after we'd arrived at the palace this afternoon. I wondered what he was doing—and who he's doing it with, my brain had kindly supplied—but knew it wasn't any of my business.

Our relationship had been strained ever since that day in his apartment. The day he'd kissed me. I'd freaked out and run away and Adrian had gone into a depression. It wasn't as bad as after Rose left him, but, let's just say, he wasn't handling it very well.

We hadn't talked in over a month, aside from me saying hello and him nodding in my general direction. It was a far cry from the way our relationship had been pre-kiss. If I was being honest with myself, it crushed me, but I usually tried to push those thoughts aside and act as professional as possible around him.

Even though I sometimes got the feeling that my professional act just made his mood worse.

I was worried about him running around Court, getting right back into his old habits, but I couldn't focus much on it. Not now. Not with Ian right here.

"I hate that we have to eat with them. I'd rather go get fast food or something," he said as we headed out of the secluded hallway that led to our guest rooms and toward the dining room. Lissa, the Queen and Rose's best friend, had, at Ian's request, had two rooms in the south wing put together for our use. The south wing was the furthest from the rest of the gang's rooms and no one else was staying there. We were essentially alone on that side of the palace.

I hated separating myself from Jill and the others, especially at Court. Jill had been attacked the last time she was here, she had died, until Adrian had saved her life with spirit magic. What if someone attacked again and I wasn't there to help her? I could use magic, too, and had been practicing with it almost non-stop recently. I could help her in an attack just as much as Eddie or Angeline or Adrian. I should be with her.

But I couldn't ask to change my room to their wing. I couldn't even talk to Jill without making Ian suspicious. And he followed me around like a lost puppy, constantly at my heels.

"It'll be fine," I said distractedly, still worrying about how dinner was going to work. Ian didn't seem like he'd want to sit down to dinner next to a vampire, even ones as nice as Jill and the others. "But you need to calm down and not show your fear or dislike of them. It's rude and they are being courteous to us, after all."

To my surprise, when we entered the dining room, everyone was already there. I did a quick scan of the faces at the table. Jill, Eddie, Angeline, Rose, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian, Sonya, Mikhail. No Adrian. My heart dropped when I realized he wasn't going to come back for dinner—for the group dinner he'd promised Jill he'd attend—but I put on a cheery smile and said hello to everyone.

Ian nodded politely next to me.

"Hey, Sydney," Rose greeted kindly. "Ian. Come sit down, we were just talking about how the florist messed up Sonya's bouquets." She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"It was a major problem," Sonya laughed. "Just wait until you get married."

"Oh, no! Don't go giving him any ideas," Rose said, pointing to Dimitri. "Not until I'm at least in my twenties."

I had already begun walking over to the empty seat on the other side of Mikhail, but Ian grabbed my hand.

"Let's sit over here," he whispered, dragging me down to the other end of the table. It was a long dining table and now there were more than a couple empty spaces in between us and the rest of the party.

Sitting down here I would barely be able to hear anyone's conversation. But what could I say? Ian pulled out my seat for me and I sat, miserably.

Sonya gave me a disappointed look and I felt incredibly rude. I opened my mouth, about to make that point to Ian when I noticed his eyes were wide. I looked behind me and sure enough a tall Moroi man with unbelievably green eyes loomed over me.

"Can I speak to you for a second," the man gritted out between clenched teeth. It wasn't a question.

I stood, dreading whatever conversation Adrian and I were about to have, but happy that he was back. And even happier that he didn't smell of alcohol or smoke... or girls.

To my horror, Ian began to get up as well.

"No, Ian," I said, trying to sound authoritative and professional. "It's okay. Enjoy your meal, I'll take care of this."

Ian looked like he wanted to argue, but Adrian gave him a look that would have scared a trained guardian. He nodded stiffly and sat back in his chair.

When I looked up everyone was staring at us. Embarrassed, I turned around and walked across the room and into the hall, trying to maintain a normal speed, when really I just wanted to bolt.

Once we were in the hall I looked at Adrian. "What's going on?" I asked. "What do you need?"

Adrian scoffed. "What do I need?" he asked, nastily. "What I need is to know why the hell that guy is in there sitting with you."

I sighed. "The Alchemists sent him," I explained. "He's supposed to be my backup."

"I'm sure he is," Adrian said. His mouth seemed set in a permanent scowl. "What a waste of my night," he grumbled, turning to leave. He wasn't even headed back to the dining hall, he was going in the other direction. Leaving me.

"What's a waste?" I demanded, grabbing his elbow before he could go.

He turned back and shook his head, like he wasn't going to answer, but then his eyes drifted to where my fingers still clutched his arm. I let go and took a step back, causing him to sigh.

"I know this guy..." he said, then stopped and looked me in the eyes. He took a deep breath. "Look, I know I've been a moody, asshole to you, Sage, and you didn't deserve it. I... When I found out we were attending Sonya's wedding here at Court I remembered I knew this guy, Andre. He..." Adrian looked down at the ground. "He collects classic cars."

He looked back up at me, searching my face, but all I could do was stare back, confused. What did Andre and his cars have to do with Adrian's wasted night?

"I thought," Adrian started, then he looked down again. "I don't know, it's stupid. I thought maybe I could make up for being a jerk by borrowing one of his cars. I thought maybe you'd like to go for a ride or something after dinner. As friends."

I just blinked at him. He'd borrowed a car to take me out?

"It was a stupid idea," he said, turning away from me again. It was only then that I realized I hadn't said anything, just looked at him strangely.

"What kind of car?" I asked quickly, grabbing his elbow again. I could hear the excitement in my own voice.

He glanced at me over is shoulder. "Corvette," he said. "1954. Red."

I sucked in a breath and he smiled a little.

"Thought you'd like that," he said smugly. And he had every right. A 1954 Chevrolet Corvette in red?

"That's the first year the Powerglide 235 engine became standard." I glanced down the hall toward the front entrance of the palace. "It's out there right now?"

"Yeah." He kept smiling, but it dimmed a little. "I could give you the keys, if you want. That way you could take Ewan with you." He gestured back to the dining room.

"You mean Ian?" I asked, confused. "Why would I want to take Ian with me?"

"I don't know," Adrian said, turning back to face me. "You seemed awfully cozy with him in there. Holding hands," he spit the words like an accusation. "Figured you'd rather hang with him tonight, since you seem to be back to the old us vs. them Alchemist mentality."

His tone was so bitter it caused me to frown. He had, admittedly, been moody and a jerk to me for the past month. He'd wanted nothing to do with me. What gave him the right to make a rash judgement about me and Ian?

"I don't want to go anywhere with Ian," I stated, angrily. "I didn't want to sit at the end of the table, away from everyone I know. I don't want to stay in the room next to him on the other side of the palace from you and Jill. I don't want him here at all. I have no choice. And I certainly wasn't holding his hand!"

Adrian's expression faltered and then he frowned. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh!" I lowered my voice, trying not to yell at him. How dare he make assumptions like that? Did he really think I could just change my mind so quickly? "I can't talk to anyone while he's around. Rose tried to ask me about Palm Springs and I could barely answer her. The Alchemists would freak out if they knew I was friends with you guys. I'm supposed to want to sit at the end of the table and sleep as far from you as physically possible. I'm supposed to be scared of you!" I took a deep breath and exhaled it out in one long, weary huff. "But I'm not. You know that. And I'm terrified he's going to find out."

Adrian looked properly chastened. He reached out and touched his fingers to mine, not quite holding my hand. I should have pulled back, but I couldn't quite find the strength to do so.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I thought..."

Finally, I managed to pull my hand away. "You thought what? That I could abandon my friends that easily? That I would do something like that?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Or... Well, yeah, maybe. It just seemed like the easier course of action, you know? After..." he looked away again, "everything."

"I couldn't go back to that course of action if I wanted to," I sighed, thinking about everything I'd learned from Ms. Terwilliger. Going back to the Alchemists would probably be akin to suicide.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

I looked back over my shoulder, toward the dining room. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

Adrian nodded. "Do you want to go back in?" he asked pointing to the door behind us.

"No," I answered, leaning against the wall. "Not really. Ian's been following me everywhere. He's kind of annoying. If he's so afraid of Moroi than he shouldn't have volunteered for the assignment."

Adrian laughed a little. "Fear of vampires isn't the reason that guy's been following you, Sage."

"What do you mean?"

Adrian face softened, but there was still a hard edge to it, like something was bothering him. "He's got a crush on you."

I blinked in surprise. "Ian? No. No way. Besides, you only saw him for, like, half a second. How could you have noticed he had a crush on me that quickly?"

"It's true," Adrian said. He even crossed his heart. "I noticed it the first time I saw him. When you were being interrogated by the guardians after helping Rose."

I'd forgotten Adrian had seen Ian then. And he was good at figuring people out and he never forgot a face, so he probably wasn't mistaken.

"Why would he have a crush on me?" I asked, baffled. "I don't even really know him that well."

"It doesn't take long to fall for a beautiful, intelligent woman, Sage," Adrian said. He was smiling, but his eyes were serious and something in my chest fluttered in response. "Trust me."

I let my head fall back against the wall, feeling... I didn't know. Feeling a lot of things. Shock that Ian liked me, anger still about Adrian's accusations, excitement that Adrian and I were talking again. Butterflies seemed to be trying to take flight in my stomach at the way he was looking at me.

"So," Adrian said. "If you don't want to go back in, you're still going to need to eat something..." He pulled a set of keys from his pocket. "And I do have a ride."

I started to say, "Yes. Yes, definitely!" but then a thought occurred to me. "I can't," I said instead. "How could I cover up going on a joy ride with you? Ian would find out and tell the Alchemists. And if he does have a crush on me, he'll be paying extra close attention."

"Just leave it to me, Sage," Adrian smirked. "Give me your phone. You have his cell number?"

I told him I did and pulled the phone from my pocket, handing it over to Adrian who pulled up my contacts list and then started typing. When he was done he handed it back to me. It was still open to my messages and I read the text he'd just sent Ian.

Ivashkov is causing a fuss. I need to go take care of it. Be back later, don't worry :)

"Adrian, I don't use smiley faces," I said. But, really, the text was a smart idea and would probably get Ian off of my back for a while.

He smiled at me. "The crush, remember? He'll think it's flirting. And he isn't going to turn in the girl he likes to his superiors if he thinks he might stand a chance with her." He seemed to think of something suddenly. "He doesn't stand a chance with you does he?"

I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud. At the absurdity of Adrian's obvious jealousy, at my relief that he was okay, that we were okay. "No," I told Adrian, still laughing. "No chance. Not when..."

I trailed off, fighting a blush.

"Not when what?" Adrian asked slyly.

I lifted my chin and looked him right in those impossibly green eyes. "Not when there's a 1954 Corvette waiting outside for me."

Adrian laughed and led me outside.

The car was gorgeous. Cherry red, chrome trim. The white convertible top was down, showing off the sweet red interior. I loved Adrian's Mustang, I really did, but this car blew it out of the water.

"It's the Blue Flame," I muttered, running the tips of my fingers over the hood.

"That name doesn't really make any sense," Adrian said from the curb. "It's red."

I turned back to him and smiled. "It's the name of the engine," I said. "It's called a Blue Flame." I turned back to the masterpiece in front of me. "But I think the name suits this car."

"Let's take it for a ride then," Adrian said. His voice was in my ear and I spun around to see that he'd snuck up on me. He was standing so close now...

"Okay," I breathed. My heart had started hammering in my chest. I told myself it was excitement at being able to drive the car, but even I wasn't fooled.

Adrian lifted his hand, the keys dangling from his long fingers. I reached out to grab them but he caught ahold of my hand, the keys trapped between our palms. His eyes were so green and staring directly into me. I realized right then just how much I'd missed him recently. I was glad that we were over that period in our relationship and I didn't ever want to go back to it.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "For doing this. For being my friend. For everything."

He continued to watch me, silently searching for something. He must have found whatever it was because a look passed over his expression. A look of friendship and fondness and... hope. Eventually he smiled and dropped the keys into my hand, heading to the passenger side door.

"Let's see how fast this baby can go," he smirked.

I grinned and hopped into the drivers seat.


	3. Voicemail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finds out about Sydney and Adrian's relationship because Adrian is handsy and Sydney is distracted.

I was usually more than happy to kiss Adrian. We'd been together for a few months now. Eddie and Angeline even knew about our relationship. I was pretty sure Dimitri and Sonya did too, even though I'd never expressly told them about it.

But right now, while I was on the phone with Rose, who I was pretty sure did not know about our relationship, I didn't find the way Adrian leaned in and kissed my neck appropriate. I pushed him back, trying to focus on my conversation with Rose.

"I really think Lissa's finally getting somewhere with these hereditary laws," she was saying. "More and more people are backing her decisions every time she holds a meeting. Hopefully you guys will be out of there soon."

Adrian kissed my neck again, right below my ear. "Hopefully not," he murmured against my skin.

A small, "Mmm," sound escaped me, but Rose took it for assent.

In his defense, it wasn't like we hadn't been kissing before Rose had called. We had been. A lot. So much, in fact, that Adrian's shirt was currently located in the kitchen from when he'd flung it over his head before. My shirt was only a few buttons short of joining it.

Rose was still talking, I wasn't sure about what. I heard words like _Court_ and _royals_ , even a few _pain in the ass_ 's. But the way Adrian's tongue kept darting into my right ear was really distracting.

I pulled the phone away from my other ear and covered the microphone. "Will you, please, stop it?," I hissed.

"You really want me to stop?" he asked, looking at me seriously. "Because you just say the word and I'll stop."

"Sydney?" I could hear Rose calling for me from the phone in my hand. "Sydney, you still there?"

I looked at the phone, then back up to Adrian, determined to say the word. I was thoroughly frustrated with myself when my eyes darted to his lips quickly, causing him to smirk.

With a mischevious glimmer in his green eyes he pressed the phone back to my ear and then leaned in to press a kiss against my collarbone. He peppered my neck with warm, wet kisses before pressing his tongue flat against my throat and—

I wasn't quite sure, but I mumbled something along the lines of, "Something's come up, I've gotta go," to Rose before hanging up and dropping the phone on the floor next to the couch.

I reasoned with myself that I hadn't hung up on anything important. She'd really only called to chat. I knew I'd still feel bad later, but right now, with Adrian unbuttoning the rest of my shirt, I couldn't care less.

He was the only person I'd ever met who had the incredible ability to make my brain cease to function. And I liked to take advantage of it whenever I got the chance.

###

When I woke up at Amberwood the next morning, I realized I'd had a missed call in the middle of the night. It was from Rose. And she'd left a message.

The guilt over hanging up on her last night hit me like a brick, making me feel like the world's most horrible friend. She'd called to catch up and I'd hung up to make out with my boyfriend. Without any sort of explanation.

What had I been thinking? It wasn't like we lived normal lives. Our lives were dangerous and me hanging up was so out of character she'd probably been freaking out all night, wondering if something had happened to me.

I took a deep breath and then played her voicemail.

"Hey, Sydney," she dragged out the words. It sounded like she was smiling, which eased the tension I was feeling somewhat. If she was smiling she couldn't be that worried, right?

But then her next words stopped me in my tracks.

"So, next time you lie to me so you and Adrian can get it on, please remember to actually _hang up_ the phone. I listened to you guys making out for over a minute before I realized what I was hearing. I feel like I need to wash my ears out with soap now. So thanks."

I knew my face must have been a color similar to that of a fire engine. I hadn't hung up the phone? So she'd heard...

"Don't worry," Rose said in the voicemail, practically reading my thoughts. "I hung up once the _oohs_ and _aahs_ and _ohs_ started. But seriously, I almost had a heart attack when I realized you were with Adrian. How the hell did that happen? Anyway, just wanted to let you know you owe me an explanation, a _huge_ one."

I dreaded that explanation. Not because I thought she'd react badly to the news that Adrian and I were together—if anything last night's slip up and this voicemail had proven she was cool with it. But that presented its own laundry list of problems. Most involving nonstop questions and teasing.

"Just call me back when you finally manage to pry yourself away from Adrian." The sound of Rose laughing was the last thing I heard before the message ended.

 _Awesome_ , I thought. _I'm never going to hear the end of this._

Oh, Adrian was _so_ dead.


	4. Pink Blanket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney isn't the only one in for a surprise when Adrian breaks her out of reeducation. (Part 1 of the Pink Blanket AU)

Sometimes change happens slowly. Like falling in love. It happens quietly and without a whole lot of fanfare. Sometimes you know it's coming and sometimes it hits you out of the blue, but looking back it's been there the whole time. Sometimes it's the last thing you could have ever possibly foreseen for yourself. For your life.

But then other changes come more quickly. Like when a relationship ends. When it's sucked away from you before it ever really had a chance to develop. Then you're left trying to get back the thing that was ripped away.

But not all quick changes are a bad thing. Sometimes they're the exact thing you've been waiting for. Like finally landing that one lead that can help you get back the thing you've been searching for.

I shook off the thought. I couldn't focus on anything but the task at hand. I couldn't get caught up in the hope and joy that breaking into this building brought me. I couldn't risk the distraction. She was too important.

It had been nearly a year since the Alchemists took her away from me. Nearly a year since I saw those beautiful golden eyes light up when she smiled. Since I heard her laugh. Anxiety flooded me every time I thought about it. What if she wasn't here? Despite what my contact had said about the Alchemists keeping reeducation patients in this building, she might not be here.

Dammit! I had to concentrate.

I followed Eddie and Dimitri down the deserted hallway. It was sterile and white with fluorescent bulbs lighting the way. There were no shadows, no places to hide. I wasn't sure if that was comforting or terrifying.

Dimitri held up a hand in a hold motion as we came to a connecting hallway. He was such a freaking boy scout. I probably would have made fun of him if I wasn't feeling so indebted right now. He was helping me, after all.

After checking it out he motioned us forward, down the hall and to the right. This was it. This was where she should be.

There weren't any Alchemists guarding this hallway, no one guarding the people in the small cells on either side. Eddie and I peered through the plexiglass windows on the steel doors, looking for her, while Dimitri stood guard. If anyone did come along I trusted him to handle it.

The first three cells were empty, the next had a woman in it. She was older, with limp brown hair. Definitely not the woman I'd come looking for. I felt bad passing by her cell, but I couldn't risk jeopardizing the plan by breaking anyone else out. I just couldn't.

"Adrian," Eddie hissed and my heart sped up. "Over here."

I'm pretty sure I moved faster than I ever had before. I was peering into the cell he gestured to within the space of a blink. At first I didn't see anyone inside. White cinderblock walls surrounded a room no more than six feet wide. There was a cot pushed up against the far wall, a thin, scratchy looking blanket crumpled on top of it. It wasn't until I pressed my face against the glass that I saw what Eddie was referring to.

A small, blonde was sitting in the corner by the door. Her head buried in her knees so I couldn't make out her features. Even so, I was about ninety percent certain this was the woman I'd been looking for.

I used the keycard Marcus managed to swipe for me and opened the cell door. It swung into the room and I was right behind it, turning so I could see her.

She didn't even look up. Whatever they'd been doing to her, she wasn't even interested to know who'd come into her room. But I saw the way her muscles tensed. It was a small thing, but I noticed it. She was playing tough, but she was still scared.

For a moment I stood there, staring, completely mute. If I called her name and she looked up and it wasn't her I might have fallen apart, right there. Worse, if I called her name and it was her, but she didn't remember me. Or what if she was scared of me now? That was what reeducation was for, right? To put fear back into people the Alchemists deemed too close to vampires. What if they'd succeeded?

I forced myself to take a step closer and I even managed to say her name.

"Sydney?"

Her responding flinch hit me in the gut almost as much as her disappearance did ten months ago. I pushed passed it and knelt beside her. "Sydney? It's me."

Finally, she looked up. And it was her. It was without a doubt Sydney Sage looking back at me. But there was something off in her golden gaze. Like the spark had died inside of her. It broke my heart.

She stared at me for a few seconds. Searching my face for something. _At least she recognizes me_ , I thought. And she didn't look afraid...

"Did they finally get your eyes right?" she asked quizzically. She sounded so normal, so Sydney, yet there was something wrong with her words. What was she talking about?

"Sydney, we have to go now," I said firmly. Standing, I held a hand out to help her up. She looked at it suspiciously and then up at me.

"I won't fall for it. Even if they did get the eyes right. You're not him and I'm not going anywhere until I see her." Her chin jutted out in defiance and I was struck by how much I loved this girl, even when I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sage," I said softly, "we have to go." I grabbed hold of her hand and drag her to her feet. Surprisingly, she let me. "Whatever you're talking about we'll figure it out once we get the hell out of here."

Once standing, she stared at me again. For longer this time. She took in everything about me in that look. Everywhere her gaze touched I felt warm, comfortable, like sleeping in after an especially bad hangover. I took her in, too. For some reason I had gotten it into my head that the Alchemists would keep her malnourished. That they'd starve her while she was here, keeping her weak. But she looked healthy. _Really_ healthy. She had gained a few pounds since the last time I'd seen her. And it was most obvious when my gaze skimmed over her chest.

" _Adrian_?" she asked, sounding baffled. "Are you... you're here. You must be. The other one's never call me Sage... Adrian, what's going on?"

My breath caught when she said my name. She did recognize me and she was clearly not afraid. My fear of her being brainwashed and crazy ebbed away as I watched her take in her surroundings. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Eddie in the open doorway behind me.

"It's not a dream," she whispered and the look of hope in her eyes made me smile.

"Not a dream," I repeated.

Then she launched herself at me. Her arms swung around my neck and she kissed me in a way that was almost embarrassing with Eddie standing right there. But I didn't care. I kissed her back, pulling her closer, tighter. My hands traveled down her body, pulling her legs up around my waist. I wanted to weld the two of us together in that position. I was never letting go of her again.

Finally she pulled away, gasping, and I set her on her feet. Eddie cleared his throat.

"You guys, we really need to go now." Then he smiled a little. "Hey, Sydney."

She grinned the most amazing grin I'd ever seen on anyone's face and let go of me to go hug him. I took her hand and led her down the cell block to where Dimitri was waiting. Even the Russian looked relieved to see her. He pulled her into a hug and then he was back in guardian mode, eyes sweeping down the hall.

"It's still clear," he said softly. "We need to go now."

I nodded, taking Sydney's hand again and intertwining our fingers. I turned down the hall in the direction we had planned, but Sydney dug her heels in, refusing to budge.

"Sage," I started, but she shook her head.

"Wait here," she whispered and then slipped her fingers from mine and took off down the hall in the opposite direction. It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening, that Sydney was running away, then I took off after her.

I had no idea where she was going as I followed her through the halls and into a stairwell, but I'd be damned if I let her out of my sight again. Two flights of stairs later I watched her slip through a door and down another sterile, white hallway. She slid into a room just as three men in casual business attire strolled down the hall. One had a coffee in his hand and was joking with the others. I dipped back into the stairwell before they saw me.

"Adrian?" I heard Eddie calling from a flight down. "Is everything alright up there?"

"Sydney ran into some room," I said back. "There are alchemists in the hall. I can't get to her. Wait. They're leaving."

I pushed the door open again, about to follow after Sydney, when I saw her dart through the door and back into the stairwell. She was already pushing passed me, running down the stairs with a pink bundle in her hands. I shook my head, fearing that I may have gone insane for real this time.

Was that a _baby_ in her arms?

She shot passed Eddie and into the hall, back to where Dimitri was waiting.

"Is she carrying a baby?" Eddie asked me, looking confused.

I shrugged and kept moving. Dimitri didn't comment on the baby, and thankfully the little rugrat kept quiet too as we followed the twists and turns of the Alchemist labyrinth. For the most part, the halls were clear, just like Marcus had said they would be, but we had to dodge a few people here and there.

I wanted to take Sydney's hand again. I wanted to pull her to me as we waited for Dimitri to do the final check of the hall leading to our exit. But she had the baby, wrapped in a tiny pink blanket, clutched to her chest. I wanted to ask her what was going on, why she had kidnapped a baby, but there wasn't any time. We'd figure it out once we were clear of the building. Dimitri pushed open the exit door and, with a hand on her back, I led Sydney out of the prison she'd been stuck in for so long.

Tires squealed as a van pulled up in front of us and the side door was thrown open. "Get in!" the blonde girl in the van shouted.

"Jill?" Sydney asked, but climbed into the van. I climbed in after her and pulled her into the back seat with me.

The others hopped in and the driver stepped on the gas, flooring it out onto the road leading away from the reeducation center.

"Sydney?" Rose said as she steered us away from that hellhole. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sydney sighed. She leaned on my shoulder and looked around the van at everyone who helped me get to her. Rose driving like a maniac. Angeline in the passenger seat, watching for anyone who might be tailing us. Dimitri leaning forward to whisper something to Rose. Eddie and Jill sitting next to each other, both of their mouths hanging open as they stared at the baby in Sydney's arms. I turned to look at it, too.

What could the Alchemists be doing with a baby in a place like that? A part of me really didn't even want to know.

"Sage?" I asked, putting an arm around her and reaching to turn her face toward me. She shook me off and pulled the baby closer, moving the fuzzy pink blanket away from its face.

She leaned in, whispering to the kid. Nothing that I could make out as actual English phrases. Just soft cooing noises.

"Sydney," Jill said quietly. "What's with the baby?"

I stroked her hair with one hand as she held the little girl—I assumed from the pink blanket that it was a girl—tight.

"She's–she's..." Sydney stuttered over her words, scaring me a little. Sydney rarely stuttered over anything. "I couldn't leave her."

"Okay," I said. "It's okay. No one is going to make you leave her. But why don't you let Jill hold her for just a couple of minutes, until I can get you checked out?"

Even after ten months Sydney still turned to me and raised her eyebrows in that _yeah right_ sort of way she had. I smirked.

"I mean it. I just want to make sure you're okay. Please?" When she still didn't look convinced I leaned close. "I just want to hold you for a minute, okay?" I whispered. "We'll take care of the kid, but please? Just give me a minute?"

I watched as Sydney's eyes closed slowly, tears spilling from underneath her lashes. "I can't," she said. "I can't let her go."

"Why not?" I asked, truly at a loss.

She didn't answer me. Instead, she held the baby up for me to see. The kid looked normal enough. All babies kind of look the same, you know? This one was young, a newborn, but there were no obvious scars or wounds that suggested the Alchemists were abusing it. But then the kid opened her eyes and looked at me, and I suddenly had the feeling of being punched in the gut.

Impossibly green eyes looked back at me. The greenest eyes I had ever seen on another person. In fact, the only time I'd ever seen eyes like that were when... when I looked in the mirror.

The kid _cooed_ and _ahhed_ for a second while she looked up at Sydney. Then she turned that brilliant green gaze on me. And, I swear, I felt my heart break into a million different little pieces. I wasn't sure what emotion I was feeling, so I decided that I was feeling all of them. Anger, pain, grief, loss, elation, relief, happiness. But mostly confusion. So that was the one I went with.

" _How_?" I was almost surprised when I actually managed to say the word. The kid was still staring at me and I was staring right back. _Tough little cookie_ , I thought. She didn't look away once. It was like she was studying me, weighing me. Maybe even judging me. I felt judged. But maybe that was just me judging myself.

"How do you think?" Sydney smirked.

I gaped at her and she reigned in her expression. I was usually all for jokes, especially sexual ones—especially, _especially_ sexual jokes from Sydney—but right now, looking at a baby who had clearly stolen my eyes, I wasn't feeling up to it.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood," Sydney said. She fidgeted, fixing the baby's blanket before looking back up to me. "It must have been that time... Remember?"

She said it so carefully, so cautiously, that I wondered if maybe she thought that I wouldn't remember. "Of course I remember," I said. "I remember every moment I've ever spent with you. But how... We were always careful. And, I mean, those are my eyes." For some reason I pointed at the kid, like maybe Sydney hadn't noticed her eyes.

The kid did the strangest thing then. She giggled—it sounded gurgley—and reached up with one tiny little hand. She wrapped five, stubby, little fingers around my pointer and held on for dear life. She was smiling at me. There was a little drool at the corner of her mouth, but she was smiling.

My heart tripped over itself.

"She's mine?" I asked, even though I knew. It only took one look to know. "Which means she's yours. Which means you...?" I gave Sydney's chest another look. "So that's why your boobs are so big."

I hadn't really meant to say that out loud. It was just the first thought that occurred to me. I thought Sydney would look embarrassed or angry— _yeah, Adrian, what a great time to be thinking about my boobs_ —but instead she snorted.

"Yeah," she glanced down at herself. "They haven't gone back down to normal size yet."

I bit my tongue to keep from commenting on that. As far as I was concerned I hoped they never went back down to the size they used to be, but now wasn't the time for _that_ statement.

"I didn't know," Sydney was saying, looking down at the baby again. She wouldn't look up at me. "I didn't know until they took me in and ran a few tests. Apparently the Alchemists don't reeducate people until after they know for sure they're not pregnant."

Her tone sounded so bitter my chest ached for her, but still, I almost sighed in relief. "So they didn't hurt you?"

She laughed, but it didn't sound like a happy one. "No. No, they didn't hurt me. Not physically."

The van was silent now. Even holier-than-thou Dimitri was riveted to his spot between the front seat and the middle row, staring back at me and Sydney.

I swallowed, afraid of the implications her words presented. I brushed her bangs back away from her face. They'd grown out in the time she'd been gone.

"They kept me sedated, so I wouldn't be able to get in touch with you. Some special blend, they said, that wouldn't hurt the baby. I couldn't tell you..."

"It's okay," I leaned my head down, resting it against hers and squeezed her shoulder.

"I wanted to tell you so badly. And then once I had her they took her from me a–and..." Her voice cracked. "They asked me so many questions. Made me do things–"

"What kind of things?" I demanded, my brain already imagining the worst of the worst.

"Not those types of things," she said quickly, freeing one hand from the—from _our_ —baby and taking my hand in hers. "It was mostly about magic. They didn't even seem to care that I was pregnant with a half-vampire. All they wanted to know was what I could do with my magic. They made me help them with things. I performed spells for them and in exchange I could see her," she said, pulling the kid close again. "I tried to escape once, but they... They threatened her. I knew I should try again, but I couldn't bring myself to do it."

I sat back, one arm still around her shoulders as I took everything in. The Alchemists had not only kidnapped my girlfriend, but they'd threatened my kid's life...

She watched me for a few seconds, waiting for a reaction, but when I didn't give her one she thought I was angry. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I know I'm dropping this huge bombshell on your head and it's insane to think you'd want this–"

"Sage, what the hell are you talking about?" I asked. "Don't say things like that. You have no idea how much I want this."

And I did. It surprised me how much I did want it. How much I wanted her and this sweet, innocent child we'd created. The baby giggled at me again, wiggling its feet inside the blanket.

"I think she wants me," I said to Sydney, smiling a little.

"You think every girl wants you," she teased, but her voice sounded thicker than usual.

I raised my eyebrows, asking silent permission to hold my daughter.

 _My daughter_. Those were probably the scariest two words I'd ever thought in my entire life.

But somehow, when Sydney cooed, "You want to go to Daddy?" my heart felt like it might explode from sheer joy. I was this sweet little thing's father. And that scared me as much as it excited me. I took the pink bundle from Sydney and held it carefully to my chest. The last thing I wanted to do was fumble my kid the first time I held her.

"What's her name?" I asked, feeling the kid wriggle around in my arms. I gave her back my finger and she wrapped her hand around it.

Sydney leaned over, fussing with the pink blanket again. I realized it was a nervous habit she'd developed. "Her name, it's... it's Adrianna."

I whipped around to look at her, but she wouldn't meet my gaze.

"I know," she said. "It's cheesy, but... I wasn't sure if she'd ever meet you. I wanted to give her something of yours. Your name was the only thing I could think of."

I looked down at my daughter. Adrianna Ivashkov. "It's not cheesy," I said. "It's beautiful. She's beautiful."

Sydney smiled. She looked like she was glowing she was smiling so brightly. "You're just saying that because she looks like you," she joked.

I looked back down at Adrianna and shook my head. "She looks like you. Blonde hair, perfect, little kissable nose." I leaned down and kissed my baby's nose. She giggled again and I smiled, then turned and kissed Sydney's nose. "Yup. Definitely the same nose."

Sydney was still smiling but it started to wobble. I watched her eyes well up and her chin tremble. "God, I missed you," she said, her voice cracking.

I wrapped an arm around her again, pulling her close to me. She buried her head in my shirt, both arms wrapping around my waist. I looked up to see everyone had, at some point, turned to face forward in their seats. Giving us the illusion of privacy. It was a small van and there was no way they couldn't hear everything we were saying, but I appreciated the gesture. The only one who met my gaze was Rose. She was looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"When we stop for gas someone is changing seats with me," she announced, "so I can sit in the back and play with the baby."

Sydney laughed at Rose's demand, which caused Adrianna to giggle again. I pressed my cheek against the top of Sydney's head and held her close, thinking about how fast things change. How just this morning I was lonely and miserable, desperate to find this girl. Now, here I was, one arm wrapped around the love of my life, the other wrapped around the daughter I didn't know we had. Everything had changed. I had changed. It was both fast and slow. I had been changing ever since I'd been exiled to Palm Springs with the rest of them. But I'd also changed so drastically in the last five minutes I wasn't sure I'd recognize myself in the mirror. I'd gone from flippant, womanizer to someone's boyfriend, and then to someone's father. And I wasn't going to screw those new roles up.

No way in hell.


	5. Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a picture on the Official Bloodlines Facebook page of Adrian carrying Sydney out of a fire.

I spun, frantically searching the abandoned house for Carly. She had to be here. This was where she had been, this was where Mrs. Terwilliger's psychotic sister Genevieve told me she would be. Maybe that had been my first mistake. Trusting someone I was pretty sure wanted me dead. But if she had Carly I couldn't take any chances. I'd jumped in Latte and driven off for Los Angeles the second she'd called.

Adrian had begged me not to go. Just wait for me, Sage! Just wait! That might have been my second mistake. I hadn't waited. I'd left without him, I didn't even bother telling Eddie or Angeline I was leaving at all. When I arrived at the house and noticed the first wafts of smoke drifting up from under the front door I figured it was better that way. Adrian wouldn't have let me run into a burning house and Eddie would have wanted to go in himself. I couldn't let either of those things happen. This was my problem, my sister, and I needed to handle it.

I'd run through the door despite the fire, coughing from the already thick smoke rising in the living room.

"Carly!"

I could barely see it was so hazy. The thick, acrid smell burned my lungs as I tried to breathe through it. I just needed to find Carly.

The fire was spreading quickly and I tried to check the rooms as fast as I could. I scanned the rooms downstairs before heading up to the second floor. I knew that if she was on the second floor our chances of making it out of this house alive were greatly decreased, but I couldn't leave my sister in this house. I couldn't.

When I made it to the top of the stairs I heard a loud crack. I didn't stop to look behind me, but I was pretty sure a part of the ceiling had caved in. The crackling flames were almost deafening, surrounding me at every turn.

"Carly!"

I opened a door on my left and was met by a huge hole in the floorboards. Orange flames shooting up, illuminating the room in a dangerous glow. I swung the door closed quickly, hoping somehow the thin piece of wood would keep the flames back.

The hallway was too smoky, almost black, but I ran quickly to the door at the end, pushing it open and entering the room. The floor was intact, at least, but there was no sign of Carly.

Tears were running down my cheeks, no doubt mixing with the smoke and ash coating my face. Where was she?

I was gasping for air and crying and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't stay in this house any longer. I'd die. Carly wasn't here. Genevieve had tricked me.

I stumbled to a window and, with clumsy fingers, desperately tried to open it.

A part of me had known it was a trap. The logical, Alchemist part of me. The part that was always thinking, always rationalizing. Genevieve knew I'd never join her coven like she wanted, so she'd decided to kill me instead. Eliminating the enemy, or maybe the competition. I wasn't sure how she saw me. I didn't know what about me screamed adversary to her, but I did know she'd kidnapped my sister and used her to lure me into a burning building.

I finally managed to unhook the latch of the window. Wedging my fingers underneath the glass, I wrenched up as hard as I could. I needed the air outside. The pure, clean oxygen that was waiting right on the other side of this window. But the window would only lift about an inch. I tried again, my hands stinging with the effort, but it wouldn't budge.

I gagged in the smoke, but managed to stay alert enough to scan the window sill. There must have been something blocking...

Then I saw it. It was a small thing, just the tiniest head of a screw, jutting out from the side of the window, but it was also the only thing keeping me in this room. The only thing keeping me from breathing. Genevieve, or one of her minions, had nailed the window shut.

I tried pulling at the screw, but only the tips of my fingers could get a hold of it. And even then it hurt. Bad enough to have me whimpering in pain. From the dim light filtering through the window from the street lamp outside I was able to see how red the skin on my hands looked. Red and raw. Burned. No wonder my hands stung so badly. I must have burned them while searching the house...

This was bad. I turned around toward the bedroom door, but the orange glow slipping under the door from the hallway told me it wasn't safe out there.

Fuzzy as I felt from the lack of oxygen, I knew I had to break the window. It was the only chance I had. I turned, but couldn't see anything in the room. When I'd first come in, there had only been a bed in the corner. No chairs or lamps or anything that could help me break out the glass window. I blinked hard, fighting against the sudden dizziness, and bent to take off my heel. I was pretty sure I could use it to...

...break...

...the glass.

My eyes stung from the smoke, my hands stung from the flames, the heat of the fire was rising up through the floorboards. I thought I heard sirens coming from outside, but when I looked there were no fire engines. No police.

Just...

...just a yellow Mustang.

I blinked a few times. Was there really a Mustang outside or was I just hallucinating from lack of oxygen? When I saw him standing outside on the front lawn, fear and shock and something that looked like rage playing over his beautiful features, my heart thumped once in my chest.

Adrian was here.

But it wasn't any good. He couldn't get to me. By now the whole first floor was engulfed in flames, and he didn't know where I was...

I raised my arm, the thick air and the heat making me feel like I was moving in slow motion, and swung the heel of my shoe at the glass. The heel might have made a sound when it hit, but I couldn't hear it over the raging fire. I couldn't hear it over my own heart beat. Over the blackness that was rushing towards me from all sides.

I swayed back, away from the window.

When I hit the ground, my first thought was that it was easier to breathe down here, but it was much hotter. Then the blackness surrounded me and I didn't think anymore.

###

My brain kicked back in before my body did. At first, all I knew was that I hurt. Badly. I was hot, my skin stung, felt like the worst sort of prickling. A thousand needles poking me all at the same time. I wanted to scream, but my body wasn't responding to what my brain was telling it. Something was wrong.

Sound came rushing back then. Everything was so loud, but I couldn't distinguish one sound from another. Sirens, voices, a loud crashing noise. It started to become recognizable. I could hear someone crying. Painful sounding sobs.

Someone was touching my face. It hurt. I wanted to tell them to stop, to stop touching me, to leave me alone, to get me out of here. This hurt! Why wouldn't they stop hurting me?

Then I remembered the fire. I was in a blazing house. I had passed out. Maybe the pain I kept feeling was my flesh burning in the flames? But no. That wouldn't feel like fingers caressing my cheeks.

A warm glow radiated through me. It tingled through my hands, up my arms and over my face. It engulfed me. All I felt were comfort and relief. The horrible stinging was gone, replaced by soothing strokes from someone's fingers.

No. Not someone.

Adrian.

I opened my eyes and there he was. Leaning over me. His green eyes glowed in the flames from the house. I leaned my head back to see that the house was consumed in those flames. There would be nothing left soon.

"Sage?" Adrian whispered, his voice low and thick with emotions. It tore at my heart to hear it.

I turned back to him, noticing for the first time that he was cradling me in his lap. It felt nice to just lie there with him. And I didn't think trying to get up would be the best decision in this case. He'd healed whatever was physically wrong with me, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn't happy.

"Hi," I whispered back. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I could say thank you, but what was I thanking him for exactly? For saving me? Would a simple thank you ever be enough?

Adrian wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight to his chest. He buried his face in my soot cover tangle of hair. It couldn't have been pleasant to breathe in, but he didn't seem to care as he pressed his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply.

He pulled back and took my face between his palms. "Don't you ever do that to me again. When I tell you to wait, you wait! Do you hear me?"

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes because I could now see the wet trails that streaked his ash covered face. He'd cried over me. Over my injured, unconscious body. And then he'd healed me.

His bottom lip trembled for a moment before he pulled me to him, burying his face back into the crook of my neck. I wanted to stay that way forever. I was here, he was here, nothing else mattered.

But it did matter, of course. Genevieve hadn't succeeded in killing me, but she still had Carly. Still had my sister trapped somewhere, ready to use her against me once again.

I started to pull back, my brain starting to rapid fire questions through my head. Where could Genevieve be holding Carly? How could I track them down? What would I do if I did find them? But then a sniffling sound jerked me from my thoughts.

I looked up to see Jill standing above me. Eddie and Angeline were on either side of her. She dropped down to her knees and pulled me into a hug. It was slightly uncomfortable because Adrian hadn't let go of me yet and I was still sitting in his lap.

"Thank god you're okay," she cried. "We were so scared when we pulled up and saw the flames. And then Adrian ran in to find you and–"

"What?" I asked, pulling back to look at her. Then I shifted my gaze to Adrian. He met my look with a determined one of his own. "You ran into a burning building for me?"

He didn't say anything, just watched me take in the news. I didn't take it well.

"Why would you do something so stupid?" I asked. "Why would you run into a burning building? You could have died–"

"Yeah. And so could you. It didn't stop you, did it?" His gaze was fierce, but not cold. He was concerned and angry with me for doing something stupid, the same way I felt towards him.

I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. Yelling at him for saving me was not only hypocritical, it was also ungrateful. I hugged him, trying to put all of my love and thanks into it, before turning around to look at the house again. It was almost completely demolished now. Nothing left but charred remnants of what used to be.

"How did you get in there? How'd you even know where to look for me?" I asked curiously.

Adrian helped me to my feet right as the first fire engine pulled to the curb. "Your aura," he said softly. "I could see your aura. Purple and gold, even through all that smoke. You were trying to get out of the upstairs window."

"Yeah," Eddie said, sounding weary. "He spotted you and ran in before we could stop him. We didn't even have a plan. I didn't know he could see you. I thought we were going to be attending two funerals..."

"Don't talk like that," Jill cried, slamming her hand into Eddie's shoulder in anger. "They're both fine. That's what's important."

"It is. And before you can even say anything, Sage, we're going to find your sister," Adrian said firmly. "But we're going to do it as a team. All of us."

"Yeah," Eddie agreed. "No more running off on your own without consulting anybody. The both of you," he added pointing at me and Adrian.

I looked around at all of my friends, saw the lingering fear still in their eyes, and nodded. I wouldn't run off without them again. They cared for me. We were a family. I owed them more than that. Besides, they were probably the best chance I had at getting my sister back.

We slipped across the street and into Adrian's Mustang before the firefighters realized we weren't just bystanders gawking at the fire. Adrian pulled me into the backseat with him, letting Angeline drive, while Jill and Eddie took Latte. When I claimed to be fine to drive he protested, saying we were both too wiped after the stunt I'd pulled. Once his arm wrapped around me and I sunk into his side I stopped complaining. I took one last look at the flames through the rear window, watching as the firefighters doused them with water, before facing forward. I took Adrian's hand in mine, linking our fingers.

"You're my hero, you know," I whispered, low enough that I knew only he could hear.

"Of course," he joked. "I'm your personal knight in shining armor. At your service."

His tone was light, but I could hear the truth behind the joke. I could see it in his eyes. He'd run into a burning building to save me. He loved me enough to risk his own life for me. And he was embarrassed by the praise he so obviously deserved.

I leaned closer, close enough to press my lips to his. It was a quick kiss, but meaningful. When I opened my eyes he was staring right back at me. "Thank you," I said. And then, because I needed to say it and he deserved to hear it, I whispered, "I love you."

His smile was brief, a slight upturn of his lips, and then he brought them back down to meet mine. Kissing me in the cramped back seat of his Mustang.


	6. Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pie, kissing and a very confused Brayden.

"Just one bite, Sage," Adrian pressed.

He was sitting across the small, two-person table from me, holding out a fork full of blueberry pie. He'd been trying for a few minutes to get me to eat it.

"No," I said again, for what seemed like the millionth time. "I'm not hungry."

Finally Adrian dropped the fork back to his plate with a huff. "Fine," he said, "but why do we even bother coming to this place if you won't try the pie?"

I laughed. "Are you serious? We come here because you rant and rave about how amazing the pie is. 'It's my favorite, Sage. There should be some kind of law against making any other type of pie.'" I think I did a pretty good impression of him.

He lifted the fork again, taking a bite of the piece of pie I'd refused to eat. "They do have the best blueberry pie I've ever tasted." He waggled the fork in front of me, seeming to forget that he'd just tried this tactic and it hadn't worked. "Are you sure you don't want a taste?"

I was about to roll my eyes and tell him that we were never coming here for dinner ever again, but then I caught sight of a little smudge of purple jam near the corner of his mouth and an idea began to form. We were in a secluded part of the restaurant so I decided to go for it. I smirked and stood a little, leaning over the table towards him.

"Well," I smiled coyly, "maybe just a taste..."

Instead of leaning down to try some of the pie he offered I kept leaning towards him. He seemed to understand what I wanted because he leaned in too, meeting me halfway. His lips were sweet and sticky and he was right. The blueberry pie tasted so good on him. My tongue traced the shape of his lips, sucking at the blueberry jam at the corner of his mouth. When his lips finally parted with mine it was like the perfect sweet treat...

"Sydney?" A familiar voice called out. A voice I completely ignored while Adrian's tongue was doing sinful things to me. But then my brain kicked back in and I recognized the voice that had called out to me.

I pulled back from Adrian quickly, causing him to whine in disappointment, and looked in the direction the voice had come from. I hoped it wasn't who I knew it was.

No such luck.

Brayden was standing there, a cute brunette with glasses at his side, staring at us. Eyes wide, mouth agape, he looked like he was in shock. I'd never seen his calm, intellectual demeanor so disturbed. He snapped his mouth shut, then opened it again, no noise coming from him.

"I can explain," I started to say, sitting back in my chair.

"Explain why your brother just had his tongue down your throat?" he asked, incredulously. "Or why you were licking his face in the first place?"

Brayden's date looked at me and then to Adrian with a horrified look in her eyes.

I tried to think of a reasonable excuse for something like this, something I could explain away, but I was drawing a blank. There was no rational excuse to be caught making out with your supposed brother in public. I slowly looked back at Brayden, terrified to see the look in his eyes. But then Adrian spoke.

"I'm not actually her brother, Holden," he said, smoothly.

"It's Brayden," I said, more out of habit than politeness, but no one was listening to me.

"Yes you are," Brayden affirmed. "Sydney said you were. So did Trey. And she was always annoyed at you for interrupting things and dragging her off."

Adrian smirked, but it looked dangerous. Like he was about to do some damage.

"Listen, Brian," he said. "I know you're a smart guy, so think about it. I mean, do we look anything alike? Do we act like a brother and sister? Did it ever seem like we had an awful lot of sexual tension for siblings?"

Brayden just gaped at him. His date looked like she was desperately trying to understand what was going on. I wanted to bury my head thinking about the things Brayden was going to tell her once Adrian and I left.

"All of that witty repartee we engage in," Adrian went on, "it's called flirting. You should probably take notes. Based on what I've seen from you, I'm guessing you need practice." He looked over to Brayden's date. "Am I right?" he smirked.

"But... But when we dated..." Brayden stammered. I felt terrible for confusing someone as smart as Brayden, but I had no idea what to say so I just sat there and let Adrian finish.

"When you dated, how many times did Sydney disappear to be with me?" he asked, something in his voice slightly menacing. I couldn't tell if he was being a jerk to convince Brayden or if he really liked shoving our relationship in his face. "How many times were you left at the curb while your date when home with me?"

"But you're related," Brayden repeated. "Even Trey said you were..."

"Sydney told the school I was her older brother so they wouldn't give her a hard time whenever she spent the night at my place." Adrian's matter of fact tone had even me believing his version of things. "Trust me, Brady. A brother and sister do not do the types of things Sydney and I do together."

Brayden gawked at us for a few seconds more before shaking his head. He gave me one last look—desperately asking me for answers I couldn't give him, I could tell—before grabbing his dates hand and pulling her to a table on the other side of the restaurant. After that Adrian got the check and we were out the door as quickly as possible.

That hadn't gone well, but at least I was now certain that Brayden would never again bring up my relationship with Adrian. He'd probably never even speak to me again. Still, I was a little mad at Adrian's lack of discretion.

"Did you really have to be so straightforward?" I asked as we walked to the car. "I think you were a little rough on him. You didn't need to be so mean."

"Hey," Adrian stated as if he wasn't concerned, "I got him off our back. Besides, you're the one who practically attacked me across the table. If you wanted a taste of pie so badly you could've just taken the bite I offered you."

I rolled my eyes and started to protest, but Adrian cut me off, telling me to wait by the car for him. "Be right back," he called, heading back into the Pies and Stuff.

I waited and about two minutes later he strolled back out of the restaurant, a plastic bag in hand.

"What's that?" I asked, pulling the passenger side door of his Mustang open when he clicked the locks. Our pending argument over his explanation to Brayden forgotten for the moment.

"A piece of blueberry pie," he explained, rounding the car and opening his own door. He smirked at me over the roof of the car. "I wasn't quite done with our taste test yet."

My cheeks felt like they were on fire with all of the things his words implied, but I laughed a little and got into the car.


	7. Lace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jill and Rose convince Sydney to go lingerie Shopping for Adrian's birthday.

I, Sydney Catherine Sage, had done a lot of things in my fairly short life. I'd learned several different languages and could speak them all fluently. I could make chemical compounds for basically any situation. I had assisted in a jail break and aided and abetted the fugitive after she'd broken out. I'd had a guy's eye cut out after he'd raped my sister. I'd even learned how to use magic, something I didn't even know was possible. But this, this was possibly the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

"Sydney," Rose said firmly. "You're not getting out of this so let's just go in already."

I stared up at the black sign with pink lettering, a frown pulling my eyebrows closer together.

"Come on, Sydney," Lissa said. She smiled and waved me forward. "It'll be fun."

Jill grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the store. "It's going to be so much fun. Trust us! This is bonding, remember? We're bonding."

Rose smirked and followed after us. "It's a right of passage."

"I just don't see," I said, stepping over the threshold and into the store, "how shopping for underwear is a right of passage."

"Just is," Rose said distractedly, already veering to the side to look at something lacy and risqué. It was red and would look amazing on her. Obviously. Everything looked amazing on Rose. She was exotic and curvy and beautiful in a way I'd never be.

"But why do I have to get something?" I asked. "I mean, you guys are the ones who wanted to come here. Not me."

Jill let go of me to look at a cute pink bra with heart shapes on it. She poked the padding in the cup a few times and then dropped it back onto the display table.

"Stop complaining and find cute things!" Rose demanded.

I rolled my eyes, but went to look at a rack of bras. They were simple undergarments, nothing racy on the whole rack. I figured I could get a couple of these and get them off of my back. I started picking up a solid baby blue bra in my size when Jill came over and whacked it out of my hand.

"No!" she squealed. "You are not here to pick up a few new bras!"

I looked at her like she had three heads. If I wasn't here to shop for underwear, than why was I here? Shopping for underwear?

Rose strolled over, laughing under her breath. "We're not here to shop for regular bras and underwear, is what Jill means," she explained. "We're buying the fun stuff."

"Care to explain what that means?" I asked, crossing my arms. I had the feeling I wasn't going to like her answer.

Just then Lissa came trotting across the store, her blonde hair flowing behind her and a black lace negligee in her hands. She smiled and thrust the teddy at me. "Here, try this. It would look awesome on you."

I stared at the tiny scrap of fabric in my hands with abject horror. I could completely see through it. All of it! I shook my head. "This isn't really my style," I said kindly, trying to hand the garment back to her.

The Moroi queen took a step back, grinning like a thirteen year old girl. "Oh, just try it on," she said. "It's fun just to try. It doesn't mean you have to buy it."

Rose took a corner of the lace between her fingers, feeling the fabric. "This is nice, Lis. Where'd you find it?"

"They have a whole rack of them in the back." Lissa pointed in the general direction she'd come from. "All different styles, too."

"Do they have anything in cotton?" I grumbled, already knowing I wouldn't be allowed to touch anything cotton as long as Jill and Rose were around.

Jill pushed me towards the dressing room, ignoring my question. As Jill pushed me behind the partition separating the store from the dressing rooms I saw Rose and Lissa giggling and pointing at a leather bustier.

"Just try it, please, Sydney?" Jill said, pulling out her puppy dog eyes. It really wasn't fair of her. She'd learned the move from Adrian. It was something he did whenever he wanted something from me and didn't think I was going to give in. I couldn't seem to resist them when he did it and it was only slightly less difficult to resist Jill.

"Fine," I groaned, stepping into one of the fitting rooms and pulling the curtain closed behind me. What could it hurt after all? I was just trying it on. And it was very pretty. So not me, but very pretty.

I slipped out of my clothes and into the lacy undergarment. When I turned to look into the mirror I realized just how much this negligee showed off. I had been right about its transparency. There was almost nothing left to the imagination in this thing. It looked nice, sexy even, but it was just too much. Although I did briefly wonder about the look on Adrian's face if I ever wore something like this to bed. I couldn't stop the grin that spread across my face. His jaw would hit the floor if he ever saw me in this.

I quickly changed back into my clothes, a T-shirt and khakis, before folding the negligee neatly and exiting the dressing room. Jill was waiting for me, a small smile on her face, and Rose was holding a blue bra and panties out to Lissa who had taken the dressing room next to mine while I'd been changing.

"So?" Jill asked excitedly. "Are you going to get it?"

I started to laugh and say not in a million years when my phone buzzed. I reached down and pulled it from my pocket, reading the new text message I'd received. It was from Adrian.

_U almost done? I want 2 get over 2 see my mom early so we have plenty of time later ;)_

I rolled my eyes, but smiled despite myself and answered him back.

"Ooooh!" Rose teased. "Is that Adrian? What's he want for his birthday tonight?" She smirked. "Never mind. I can guess what he wants for his birthday."

I scowled at her. "We're going to see his mom, actually," I told her primly. "Then I'm taking him out to dinner."

"So then you'll give him his present when you get home?" She smiled innocently, even though the look in her eyes was anything but. She gestured to the fabric in my hand.

"I'm not buying this! Besides I already gave him his present this morning. He's been complaining that his paintbrushes were all covered in paint and gunk so I did some research and bought him a new set that supposedly cleans better than his old set."

Rose's expression was bored and she stifled a fake yawn. "That's so interesting. I'm sure he loved it."

"He did. He was really excited," I protested, but now I felt kind of stupid. Did Adrian want a more exciting gift than paintbrushes? Did he want... I mean, would he appreciate me in this negligee more than he did the brush set?

I looked over at Rose, her dark hair flowing around her shoulders and down her back in a waterfall. She always had this wild, untamed look about her. I bet she didn't give Dimitri something stupid and practical for his birthday. She'd probably worn something even racier than the lacy lingerie I'd tried on.

"Adrian really loves the brushes you got him," Jill said quickly, looking up from her phone. I figured she must have been texting Eddie. "He's using them right now, actually. They're perfect."

I nodded, smiling a little. What was I worrying about? This was Adrian. I knew him. I loved him. And he loved me. He'd be happy with whatever I got him.

But, a small part of my brain said, what could it hurt getting the negligee? You know he'll love it on you.

"But you think I should get this too, right?" I held up the black lace in Jill's direction.

Jill blushed and then shrugged sheepishly.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll get it. Happy now?"

Rose nodded, a huge smile on her face, and Jill grinned excitedly.

I would never admit it, but a part of me was excited about it, too. I couldn't wait to see Adrian's expression when he saw me in this.

Lissa came out of the dressing room then, the blue bra and panties in her hand. "These are so adorable and they make me look like I actually have boobs and a butt. I'm buying them!"

Rose and Jill laughed at her but I was distracted by my phone buzzing.

 _Hurry_ , Adrian texted. _We need to leave soon._

I replied that I'd be home soon, confused about his impatient mood. It wasn't unusual for Adrian to be impatient, but he wasn't usually this pushy about it. Especially when he knew I was busy.

"I have to go," I said, following them up to the cash register to pay for the lingerie. "Adrian's in a rush for some reason."

"That's okay," Lissa said, paying for her purchases. "I have to get back, too. Although I do want to swing by the Food Court for a pretzel."

Rose laughed. "I want a cheesesteak. I'm starving."

I wrinkled my nose. "I'll gladly skip out on watching you devour a cheesesteak." I gave Jill a hug and then waved to Rose and Lissa. "See you guys later!"

"Bye," they all chorused as I walked away.

And then Rose had to go and say, "Have fun," in that suggestive way of hers.

###

I smirked as I watched Sydney walk away. "He's going to love that gift," I murmured to myself.

"You do know you're now going to have to live with the consequences of that gift, don't you?" Rose asked.

I snorted a laugh. "I've had to witness all of Adrian's fantasies about her for the past year. Sydney in the library, Sydney on the hood of his car, Sydney covered in paint. And Adrian can be very... creative. Ew!" I shook my head and cringed just thinking about it. "The real thing isn't nearly as bad as his dreams. I can block the two of them out when they're actually together."

Lissa scrunched her nose up in disgust and shook her head. "It's got to suck to get sucked into someone else's love life."

Rose laughed at her expression. "Like you're one to talk! Do you know how many times I had to see you and Christian—"

"Don't finish that sentence, Rose!" Lissa demanded, but she was laughing.

My phone buzzed and I glanced down to see it was a text from Adrian. He'd finally responded to the text I'd sent him a few minutes ago.

_Thank u!_

I laughed at his enthusiastic response. I'd sent a picture I'd secretly snapped of the lingerie Sydney bought. I'd also sent the words Happy Birthday. Yeah, Adrian and I might have had some boundary issues, but could you blame me? I mean, I was bonded to the guy.

 _You're welcome_ , I replied. _Just please try your hardest to block me out tonight. I really don't want to have to see Sydney wearing that thing._

 _Or worse_ , I thought, _not wearing it._

My phone buzzed again immediately.

_U got it Jailbait. Best birthday gift ever btw. Just don't know who gets credit for it. U or her?_

I laughed and shoved my phone back in my pocket, following Rose and Lissa into the Food Court.


	8. Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas and Adrian only wants one thing from Sage. For her to have dinner with him, of course. Why? What were you thinking?

"Hey, Sage," Adrian greeted as I walked into the living room at Clarence's. Jill, Eddie and Angeline filed in behind me, bags of presents in their hands, and began placing the gifts around Clarence's Christmas tree. "You want to come shopping with me? There are still a couple of things I've got to pick up."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Adrian, it's Christmas Eve. Why on earth would you wait until now to do your shopping?"

"Perfection can't be rushed, Sage. And when Adrian Ivashkov gives a gift, it's always perfect," he said completely serious.

I sighed in exasperation. He was always saying egotistical things like that. The worst part was I was about ninety percent certain he believed every word he said.

"It's already six," I commented. "Most of the stores are already closed."

"We'll find something," he insisted. "Palm Springs didn't shut down just because Santa Claus is coming to town." He paused, looking thoughtful. It almost pained me to admit his already handsome features looked even better when he made his thoughtful face. "I'm pretty sure most of the people who live here are on the naughty list anyway."

Surprisingly enough, Clarence, who was sitting on the couch, said, "Oh, just go with the boy. He'll only pester you until you give in."

I let out a startled laugh, my gaze meeting Adrian's. He smirked, amusement in his eyes.

"Even the old man knows me, Sage. I'm persistent. You should know that by now."

"I prefer to call it stubborn," I mumbled, causing Adrian to laugh. I threw my hands up in the air. "Fine. Fine, let's go."

As we walked to the door Adrian squeezed my shoulder. When I turned to look at him he was smiling sincerely. "Thanks, Sydney."

###

As we drove into downtown Palm Springs, Adrian chatted about how excited he was to give Jill her present, even though she already knew what she was getting because of the psychic bond they shared. He told me what he'd gotten for Eddie, Angeline, Clarence, and even Dorothy.

"So," I asked feeling confused. "What else did you have to get? Sounds to me like you've already finished your shopping."

Adrian pulled the car over—and parallel parked like a pro, I was seriously impressed—before cutting the engine. We'd pulled up in front of a restaurant with twinkling white lights strung up in the windows. He smiled sheepishly at me from the driver's seat before hopping out of the car. I watched as he walked around the car and handed the keys to a valet before opening my door and offering his hand to me. I took it and let him help me to my feet, but I still had no idea why we were here.

"I may have told you a slight fib," Adrian said hesitantly, but I could see the mischievous gleam in his eyes. He was enjoying this. "We're not going shopping, we're having dinner. Here." He gestured to the beautiful oak doors of the restaurant. They were decorated in lights and garland for Christmas, but you could still tell they must have cost a fortune. It was one of the most expensive restaurants in Palm Springs and Adrian was taking me there for dinner?

"But we're supposed to be having dinner at Clarence's," I pointed out even though he already knew that.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "Jill's already told them that we'll just grab dinner while we're shopping. This is your present. Or, actually I want to give you your present here. Dinner is more my present."

"But I don't have your present with me," I said, starting to feel panicked. What did he get me? I hadn't really expected anything from him, even though I probably should have. I'd gotten him one of those little Hawaiian Hula girls that sit on the dashboard of cars. He'd commented a few weeks ago about how he'd always wanted one of those, so I'd gone online to track one down. But that was just a small gift. What could he possibly be giving me that he had to do it at a restaurant instead of at Clarence's with the others around?

Adrian smiled and put his hand on the small of my back, leading me into the restaurant. "Don't worry about it, Sage. I've got something else I want you to give me tonight."

My eyes must have bugged out of my head at the meaning his words implied. "What?"

He shut his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry. That came out a lot worse than I meant it. I just meant I want you to trust me tonight, alright?" He pulled open the door and let me walk in first. "Do you trust me?"

I studied him for a moment, his features, the glow in his green eyes. I'd always trusted him.

"Of course," I said quietly, allowing him to lead me further into the restaurant.

###

"You said you trusted me," he said from behind his menu.

"I do," I argued. "But this is different. I can't eat this—"

"Eat what?" He lowered his menu to the table, his green eyes challenging me. "I haven't even made a suggestion yet."

"Yes, but I know you. You'll have me eating deep fried Oreos dipped in chocolate if I let you have a say."

"Sage," he chided. "I don't know what types of establishments you're used to visiting, but this is a classy place. I don't think deep fried Oreos are on the menu. Although, if you'd like one I'm sure I can get someone to..." He trailed off when he noticed the murderous look on my face.

He wanted me to let him order my food for me. That wasn't about to happen so he was being "persistent" about it.

"Look," he said, leaning across the table and wrapping his fingers around mine. Our relationship was still on shaky ground and I probably shouldn't encourage him by letting him hold my hands in public, but I didn't want to pull away. "I came here a few days ago and talked to the chef. I must have looked like a crazy person, trying to calculate the calories in every meal on the menu. I know exactly what to order you, exactly what you'll enjoy, all I'm asking is you trust me."

I felt myself caving at his pleading look. I couldn't believe he'd planned this out. Couldn't believe he'd put that much effort into taking me out to dinner. A date, I corrected myself. This was date. We'd gone out to dinner together one other time, but that had been more of a casual thing. This? There was nothing casual about this. Did I really want to ruin the night he'd worked so hard to plan for me?

It was just one dinner. And it was Christmas Eve, after all. I could work the calories off after Christmas...

"Okay," I said, nodding to myself. "Okay, I trust you."

Adrian smiled. "Yeah? Okay."

When the waiter came over to take our orders Adrian ordered for me and then himself. He even ordered dessert for after dinner. That was his gift, he said. He'd gotten something called a Volcano Fudge Brownie that I wanted nothing to do with but I'd bit my tongue, remembering that I'd promised to trust him.

True to his word, he'd gotten me a low calorie dinner that was as delicious as it was healthy. He, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to make up for my healthy meal by eating a plateful of fat. I had to admit that the fried potato wedges that came with his sirloin steak did look good, though.

We chatted some more over dinner, the conversation flowing as easily as it ever did with him. When the Volcano Fudge Brownie came I was a little disappointed that dinner was almost over.

The brownie had two forks in it and Adrian didn't hesitate to grab one and take a huge mouthful. Staring at the gooey chocolate melting on the plate, I had second thoughts about trusting Adrian to plan my meal. He'd done good with the entree, but even a quarter of this brownie would kill my daily caloric intake.

"Two bites, Sage," Adrian said from his side of the table. "Two bites and I won't bother you anymore."

I picked up my fork and used it to cut through the soft chocolate, but didn't lift it to my mouth. Instead, I tried bringing up a topic I'd been dying to know about since we walked in as a distraction. "You said that you had a gift for me, but it wasn't the dinner. You haven't given me anything, though."

Adrian smiled and took another bite of brownie before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small package wrapped in purple wrapping paper with white snowflakes on it. I stared at it trying to think of what it could be. It had to be jewelry, I decided, but what kind? I didn't wear a lot of jewelry and he knew that. I reached for it when he held it out towards me, but he snatched it back at the last second.

"Take a bite first," he said at my incredulous look.

I took a bite of the brownie—and, oh God, was it delicious!—before he gave me my gift. I carefully unwrapped the purple paper, wondering if he had wrapped it himself or if he'd had it done professionally. Once the wrapping paper was off a small blue leather box sat in the palm of my hand. My heart beat a little more rapidly, afraid and excited about the box's contents.

"Open it," Adrian said gently. I looked up to see a small smile softening his features as he looked back at me.

With a deep breath, I opened the box and stared down at the small silver cross that lay inside. I picked it up and gave it a closer look, turning it around in my fingers. It was simple and plain, much like the gold one I was currently wearing, except for a small engraving on the back. It wasn't in any language I spoke, but I immediately knew it was like the hieroglyphs that decorated the silver stakes the damphirs used to kill Strigoi. I smoothed my thumb over the engraving, feeling the power pulse under my touch. Had he spirit charmed this?

"What is this?" I asked, in awe of the simple yet beautiful gift, despite my misgivings about it being charmed.

"It's just got a little power in it," he said, reaching over to touch the necklace. His fingers brushed mine and I felt a spark shoot up my arm. "It's not compulsion or anything, just stored spirit power. I wanted you to... to have a piece of me with you." He laughed and shrugged. "This was a lot less creepy than the lock of my hair I was going to give you."

I laughed too, but I couldn't stop staring at the cross. It was beautiful and it contained a part of Adrian's magic, his spirit, and he was giving it to me. I wasn't sure if I should be creeped out by the idea of wearing vampire magic around my neck, or elated that he'd given it to me in the first place.

"Do you like it?" Adrian whispered. He sounded almost shy asking the question.

I met his gaze and said, "I love it."

It was true. I loved it. Whatever that meant about me, I loved that Adrian had given me a piece of himself. That he'd wanted to give me a part of himself to keep close to my heart. And the cross he'd chosen to charm was beautiful and exactly the kind of thing I'd pick out for myself.

Adrian grinned from ear to ear and walked around the table to help me put the necklace on. His fingers brushed the nape of my neck as he fastened the chain and shivers ran down my spine.

"Thank you," I whispered, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze before he could go back to his seat. "I mean it. I love this."

"I'm glad," he said, leaning down towards me.

I should have pulled back, we were in public, but I didn't. I couldn't. I reached up and guided his lips to mine, closing my eyes and just enjoying the feel of his kiss. When we finally pulled away from each other he took his seat across from me once again.

"One more bite, Sage," he said, smiling. "You promised."

I grinned, fingering the silver cross around my neck. "I did promise," I agreed, picking up the fork and taking another bite.


	9. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose apologizes to Adrian for everything that happened between them. (Companion to Ch. 19 of Of Magic and Misery—which currently has not been added to this site yet but you can find it on FF)

I had to admit, I really wasn't expecting Rose Hathaway to drag me away from the dance floor tonight. It was Sonya and Mikhail's wedding and our whole group was attending. I'd been talking to Eddie while he watched Jill and Angeline dance with Sonya and her cousin.

Rose had smiled—although it looked almost painfully strained—and asked me to talk to her in private for a few minutes. As we walked outside into the frigid, winter air I kept thinking about how I might have felt if this were happening a few months ago. Before Sydney.

I probably would have ignored her and taken another sip of whatever the cocktail server had on her tray. Or maybe I would have blown up at her again, the way I'd done after Tasha had confessed to killing my aunt and Rose had finally recovered from a near fatal injury. A part of me had known how big of an asshole I'd been to her. I shouldn't have yelled at her like that, I'd never yelled at anyone like that before. Ever. But I'd felt so stupid after seeing her and Dimitri together. So used, so... unwanted. I'd taken it all out on her when I knew I was at least partially to blame. After all, I did know how she felt about Dimitri. It wasn't like that had been a surprise.

"So," I said once we were away from the comfort of the warm, glowing greenhouse. I pulled my suit jacket closed, trying to stay warm. "What do you want to talk about?"

Rose faltered for a second and I raised an eyebrow in astonishment. Rose Hathaway was nervous, because of me. "I was just talking to Sydney," she said finally.

And suddenly I was nervous.

Had she said something about me? About us? Was Rose about to grill me for dating a human? Was that what this was about?

"She sort of put me in my place," Rose went on. She laughed to herself. "Who would have guessed Sydney would be the one to do it?"

I smiled. "Anyone who's ever met Sydney," I told her, even though it had obviously been a rhetorical question.

She looked nervous again. "Yeah. Look, Adrian... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you."

She stuttered awkwardly over her apology and I felt kind of bad for her. I wasn't really that angry anymore and this was obviously taking a lot for her to say, so I decided to cut her a break.

"It's okay," I said. "I knew you were in love with Dimitri and I continued to ignore it long after I should have."

"I do love him," she said. "But that's not an excuse for what I did. I shouldn't have let things happen that way. I should have ended things with you before I let anything start with Dimitri. I'm sorry that I handled everything so badly."

I smiled a little. "You know, Rose, I was really mad for a long time. Playing the victim, as you said. But I'm not anymore. Don't beat yourself up too much about it. Honestly, I probably would have done the same thing if it had been... me. Let's just get over it already, okay? Friends?"

I held out a hand to her, accepting her apology, hoping she still thought of me as her friend. I'd missed her, I really had. I'd always liked Rose, aside from being attracted to her. I wasn't a hundred percent over what she'd done, but I was getting there. And, really, how could I stay angry with her when I would have done the same thing. When I told her that, I'd almost said if it were Sydney. I caught myself at the last second, but the intention was still there. I probably would have cheated on Rose with Sydney if we'd been in the same situation.

You know, if Sydney was that kind of girl.

"Friends," Rose smiled, taking my hand and shaking it. We grinned at each other, both happy we weren't fighting anymore. Standing there with her I realized how much I would hate it if we couldn't be friends again.

Rose looked uncomfortable for a moment, like she was debating her next words. But then she put on that guardian mask of her's and smirked.

"So, I'm going to have to start using my toes to count all of the times I caught you staring at Sydney tonight."

She'd said it lightly, but I knew she hadn't meant it that way. She was too damn observant for her own good. I went along with the light tone anyway.

"Well, have you seen her in that dress?" I joked. "I bet even you've checked her out a few times."

She smiled. "She does look good in that dress. Gold definitely suits her."

I couldn't help myself. I pictured the way Sydney looked tonight, all decked out in gold, her aura shimmering around her, looking as radiant as the sun, and smiled softly. "You have no idea how right you are."

"But she's human, Adrian," Rose said softly. "And an Alchemist. Don't you even care how wrong that is?"

"The past couple of months all I keep hearing about is how wrong everything is. Well, you know what?" I said, starting to feel angry. What right did Rose have to tell me right from wrong, anyway? "The most right I have ever felt in my whole life is when I'm with Sydney!"

"Adrian," Rose sighed. "She's not even close to your type. She wears pant suits with three inch heels. And the first time you saw her I believe you called her uptight. What could you possibly have in common with her?"

I remembered back to the first time I'd seen Sydney. It had been at Court while she was getting grilled for helping Rose. How things had changed since then.

"First of all, khakis with a blazer does not equal a pant suit. It's casual professional," I said deadpan, raising one finger in the air. "Besides, the heels are sexy. Kind of like a naughty librarian thing." I dropped my hand and looked at Rose seriously. "And secondly, I might have erred in my initial impression of her. I've had a lot of time to get to know her since then. And Sydney and I have everything in common. We're both lost in the worlds we were born into, desperately trying to figure out who we are and where we belong."

Rose looked like she wanted to roll her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but I kept going before she got a chance.

"And third," I continued, "how is a smart, funny, brave, attractive woman who likes architecture and cars and is the human equivalent of an encyclopedia not my type? At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy here, to know Sydney is to love Sydney. And I know Sydney better than anyone."

"The point remains, Adrian," she said, not looking affected by my speech in the slightest. "She's human and you're Moroi. She's an Alchemist! How do you think this is going to play out for you?"

"You don't know the half of it, Little Damphir," I said, pulling my hands up to my mouth and blowing on them. It was really cold out here. How long was she planning on arguing with me for, anyway? "If the Alchemists find out about us they'll–"

"Us?" Rose demanded, cutting me off. She looked stunned. "This…this thing is mutual?"

"It is possible for a girl to actually like me, you know," I said, feeling slightly offended. But Rose wasn't listening to me. She was pacing back and forth, plodding a trench in the packed snow.

"How could this happen? It's ridiculous." She shook her head incredulously, her long, brown hair drifting over her shoulders. "Sydney knows better. She wouldn't. She's seen how the Keepers live. We agreed that it wasn't right."

"Sometimes love defies what's conventionally right or wrong and has to forge its own way," I said quietly. She still wasn't listening though.

"Are you sure she even knows about it?" she asked. "Sydney can be naive about things. Are you sure she doesn't just think you're friends?"

"She's not that naive," I said, feeling offended for Sydney. "But even if she were, I'm pretty sure even Sydney knows that sticking your tongue in someone's mouth crosses the line of mere friends."

She glanced up at me, her face twisted into an irritated expression I would have once found cute. "I'm going to talk to her," she said, turning and heading for the green house.

"No!" I said, moving to block her. "Rose, leave her alone. She doesn't need you berating her for the way she feels. She gets that enough from everyone else. You're supposed to be her friend."

"I am her friend," she argued, dodging me. "I'm your friend, too. And I'm only trying to save you both from the mistake you're making."

"Why is it a mistake?" I demanded, but she ignored me.

I grabbed her wrist and she spun around to face me. She looked pissed, and a pissed Rosemary Hathaway was something no one wanted to deal with, but I wasn't going to back down.

"Leave her alone," I said through a clenched jaw. "I don't want to have to compel you to forget everything I just told you, but so help me, Rose. I will."

She froze, her eyes narrowing. I was almost positive she was going to kick my ass and leave me broken and bleeding out here in the cold while she went inside and destroyed my relationship, but she didn't. Instead she shook off my hand and said, "You wouldn't."

I stood up straight, looking down at her. In the most deadly earnest tone I could manage I said, "I would. For her, I would do anything."

She looked unsure of me, like she was seeing me for the first time. I quirked my lips up into a smirk, hoping to ease the tension. "Even risk an epic ass kicking."

She weighed me with her gaze for another few moments before sighing. "I don't agree with this, and I think you're only setting yourself up for heartache, but you're serious about this, so I won't talk to her. Just yet."

"That's all I'm asking, Rose," I said. "Sleep on it. Talk to her about me all you want tomorrow, once you're not in a rush-in-and-think-later kind of mood. Sydney's having a hard enough time right now. Don't put your bigotry on her, too."

"Bigotry?" Rose demanded. She sounded mad, but I just raised an eyebrow at her. Bigotry was the exact definition of the reason she didn't want me and Sydney together, and from the way she bit her bottom lip she knew I was right. "Fine. I'll calm down and talk to her about it tomorrow."

I gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Rose gave me one last look, a look that felt like she was trying to see directly into my thoughts. Finally the corner of her mouth turned up in the faintest trace of a smile. "She was right," she said. "You have changed."

Then, without another word, she walked back toward the warmth of the green house and the party.


	10. Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk and jealous!Sydney and protective!Adrian. On New Year's Eve. You're welcome ;)

There are a lot of benefits to being friends with Rose Hathaway. She's fierce and loyal and funny and caring. But she can also be a little demanding at times. Usually I don't have a problem telling her when to back off, but tonight was, apparently, an exception.

New Year's Eve is a time to party with friends and ring in a new beginning with people you love, not a time to mope in the corner, according to Rose anyway. I was perfectly happy mopping in the corner. Well, not happy, exactly. I hadn't really been happy in a while. Not since... not since before Adrian had kissed me.

It was painful to think about the last few months. At first Adrian had been rude and I'd been miserable, not to mention angry with him for ruining our friendship for something as stupid as a kiss! But then he'd decided that approach wasn't working, so he started being nice to me again. And on the outside it was like nothing had happened between us, but I knew something had. The ordinariness of our relationship was even worse than the anger had been. It was like, he was right there. He was the Adrian I enjoyed being around, the Adrian I liked, but I couldn't be normal back. I couldn't let myself fall back into the patterns we'd already forged. He loved me. I knew it, he knew it, and I couldn't ever let myself forget.

Mostly I stayed away from him. I was cordial and everything when we were together, but I couldn't go back to the way things had been. I guess he'd had enough of that though. He'd told me once that he wouldn't bother me anymore unless I wanted him to, and he'd stuck to that promise. Mostly, anyway. Adrian was always a little irksome, no matter what.

Her also told me that he didn't care if it was hopeless, he'd just keep on loving me anyway. When I suggested he needed to move on, he'd inferred that he wasn't going to. Apparently, that was a promise he wasn't sticking to anymore.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. He hadn't actually promised those things, I reminded myself. And it wasn't like I'd ever wanted him to. I'd told him to move on. Told him he was wasting his time.

So why did it hurt so much to see him with someone else?

I shook my head again, trying my hardest not to look at the couple laughing across the room. There were a lot of people at this party, mostly Royal Moroi around our age, but I could still spot him through the crowd. He was wearing a crisp black suit, a neatly pressed white linen shirt underneath his jacket. His purple tie was crooked, though. It was loose and the red head he was with was tugging on it, leading him to the dance floor.

I forced myself to look away.

Just in time, too, because Rose strolled up and took a seat beside me, a champagne glass in each hand.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Sydney," she said sternly. She seemed a little buzzed though. "Get up and have fun or I'm going to make you."

"How many of those have you had?" I asked, pointing to the glasses in her hand. However many it had been, I was fairly certain she didn't need two more.

"A few." She shrugged her shoulders and her hands went up too, causing the champagne to come dangerously close to spilling all over her pretty black dress.

Maybe pretty was the wrong word.

Sexy black dress.

She'd gotten tonight off—the first time in months, she said—so she was taking the opportunity to live it up. Dimitri was off tonight as well, and the two had been all over each other on the dance floor. So were Sonya and Mikhail. And Eddie, Angeline and Jill were dancing. Everyone I knew—even the queen, Lissa, and her boyfriend, Christian—was having a good time. Meaning I had no one to talk to over here. Jill and Angeline had tried to get me to dance a few times, but I couldn't. I didn't dance to this type of music.

"That's it," Rose said, thrusting one of the glass flutes into my hand. "Drink that and then we'll have some fun."

"I don't drink. You know that." I started to put the glass down on the table, but Rose leaned over and grabbed my hand.

"Drink it," she demanded. A sly look passed over her face and then she released me and sat back. "Drink it or maybe I'll just have to tell Adrian that you're sitting over here crying over him."

My eyes widened and I sputtered. "You... You wouldn't! I am not crying. Over him. I'm not!"

"By all means," Rose said, standing up and facing the dance floor. She made a show of looking around, as if searching for someone. "Don't drink it and find out."

"Rose," I said quietly. Apparently my pride had gone right out the window. "Don't. You can't."

"Drink it," she said again with every ounce of conviction she had. "I will not let one of my best friends sit in the corner by herself on New Year's Eve. Dance with me, or with Dimitri, or with Jill! Please?"

Her wide brown eyes were practically begging me to have fun. It was like she couldn't enjoy herself properly unless she knew I was alright. I wasn't alright, but I could give her this, right? One drink wasn't so bad. It was just champagne.

I lifted the flute to my lips and took a sip. It was bubbly and made me feel like I wanted to sneeze a little, but I didn't. I couldn't even if I'd wanted to. When I'd tried to take the glass away from my mouth Rose had pushed up, leaving me with two options. Let the bubbly liquid spill all over my new black satin dress, or drink it.

I drank it. All of it.

"There you go," Rose smiled at me. She grabbed the other champagne flute off the table and handed it to me. "You can sip this one slower. I just wanted to make sure you had at least one glass."

I glared at her. "Maybe you really are evil," I muttered, causing her to laugh.

"I won't stay and bug you," she said. "But please get up and go have fun? For me?"

I nodded, agreeing, but didn't really mean it. "I will. Just let me finish this drink." I raised the glass and scowled at her again. Rose just chuckled and wandered off, probably to find Dimitri.

I sat there for a little while, sipping at the champagne just to have something to do. The first glass hadn't hit me too bad, I guessed, because I didn't feel slow or groggy at all. I was just finishing up when I heard Adrian's voice ring out above the music. He was laughing at something the red head said. I could just see him through the other couples on the dance floor.

Oh no. He was coming this way.

Quickly, I downed the rest of the champagne and stood, dodging people as I made my way around the dance floor. Going in the opposite direction of Adrian and his date. I grabbed another glass of champagne as I passed a server with a tray full of them.

How could he do that to me? How could he show up at a party he knew I was attending with some girl? He had no right to do that! Since he'd told me he loved me I hadn't dated anyone else! Not that I usually dated anyone at all, but still. It was about respect. I respected his feelings for me, I just didn't reciprocate.

I took a long sip of the bubbly drink and silently fumed.

He said he loved me. Loved me enough to wait and hope I'd love him back one day. Yeah. Right.

Some part of me knew how irrational it was to be angry at Adrian for dating. I'd told him to. It was what I wanted. I couldn't be with him, so why should he be alone? It was only fair he be allowed to date someone else. But in that moment I didn't feel like being fair. I felt like being mad. Like being furious.

I was so furious with Adrian that I didn't notice when I bumped into someone. I spilled some of my drink onto his blue silk shirt.

"Whoa," the guy said, reaching out to steady me.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. I handed him my glass and wiped my hand over the wet spot on his shirt. I wasn't sure what I expected to accomplish doing that, but it seemed better than doing nothing.

I felt, more than heard the guy chuckle, my hand still stroking his chest and all. Suddenly embarrassed, I pulled my hand away and looked up at the man I'd walked into. He was tall with hair that was a mix between blonde, brown, and red. I couldn't think of what that color was called at the moment. His eyes were blue, though. So blue. They matched his shirt.

"Hi." He smiled down at me, his hand still gripping my elbow to steady me.

I smiled back, trying to be polite. This guy was a Moroi. A Moroi I didn't know, but for some reason that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I didn't see you..."

"It's okay," the guy said, still smiling. His blue eyes crinkled a little at the corners in a cute way. In fact, this guy was very cute. Hot, even. Not as hot as Adrian, but still.

No! No. I wasn't going to think about Adrian.

My anger came back then. I glanced around, looking for Adrian and the horrible red head he was with. He probably left with her. He was probably...

I felt sick.

"Are you okay?" the guy asked. When I looked back up at him he was watching me with concern. Probably worried I'd puke on his shoes.

"I'm fine," I said. I was fine. I was going to be fine. I didn't need Adrian. I didn't want Adrian. "Just drank champagne a little too fast, I guess."

The guy nodded like he knew what I meant. "I'm Jesse, by the way," he said, letting go of my elbow and holding his hand out for me to shake.

I took it and shook, feeling steadier now. "Sydney."

Jesse smiled and leaned down closer to me. "What do you say we go get you another drink, seeing as you spilled most of this one on my shirt?"

I shook my head. "I don't drink," I said.

Jesse looked amused. "You could have fooled me. Let me get you one drink," he said. "It's the least you could do after ruining my favorite shirt."

I didn't really want another drink. I suddenly felt really dizzy. But he was right, I did ruin his shirt. And one more drink couldn't hurt. I'd take a sip or two and that would be that.

"Okay, sure," I said, smiling up at him.

Jesse guided me through the mass of party goers with his hand on my lower back. He took me to the bar and let me squeeze in in front of him so I could see the bartender. He ordered two shots of something, I wasn't sure what, but I watched as the bartender took out a bottle of clear liquor followed my a can of Coke and a bottle of something that smelled like coffee even from across the bar.

"I don't know about this," I said to Jesse, even though I was slightly intrigued by the coffee smelling liquid.

"No worries," he laughed. His hand was still on my back and I shifted a little to try to dislodge it. "Just one shot. I promise it tastes good."

The bartender slid the shots over and Jesse grabbed them, handing one to me. After watching him down his I felt a little bit like a wuss for not wanting to drink mine.

"Come on," he urged. His hands reached out and grabbed my waist to turn me to face him. "It'll be fine."

Would it be fine? Adrian was off with some girl, doing God knows what. And I was stuck at a party where all of my friends were busy having fun, where everyone was having fun, except for me. How whiney was I? I wanted to have fun too. I should have fun. I'm sure Adrian's little girlfriend would do the shot.

I raised the glass to my lips and tipped my head back the same way Jesse had done. Ahh! It burned its way down my throat and for one brief moment I thought I might actually throw up all over Jesse's shoes. I coughed a few times and Jesse patted my back.

"Never had tequila before, huh?" He laughed.

"I don't—" I coughed again. "I don't drink. I said that."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." He smiled at me and his hand went back to my waist. "It'll kick in in a second." He looked behind me and then asked the bartender for two more shots. This time he just ordered the tequila straight up.

I started to protest but then my head felt funny. Like my head was heavy, but at the same time was light enough to float away. It was also getting harder to remember why I didn't want the drink he was offering.

Jesse drank his shot, but pushed mine away when I reached for it. "Let's give you a couple of minutes to get your drinking legs under you, alright? Don't want you passing out or anything."

I nodded, feeling like I was going to tip over. Jesse's hands on my hips seemed like the only thing keeping me from swaying. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. I should probably go find Rose or somebody...

I looked up to see if I could find any of my friends in the crowd but Jesse was too close. I couldn't see around him. In fact, he was much closer than I had been expecting. He was smiling at me, his blue eyes still crinkled in the corners. His bronze hair fell over his forehead in a way that—

"Your hair is bronze!" I laughed, finally remembering the word.

Jesse laughed too. His warm breath hit my face and it didn't smell like the alcohol he'd just ingested. He smelled fresh, like mints. "And your hair is blonde." He reached out and twirled a strand around his finger. "I've always had a bit of a thing for blondes, you know."

His fingers released the blonde lock he'd been holding and instead buried themselves in my hair. He leaned in, pulling me closer at the same time. It took me longer than it should have to realize what was happening, but even when I realized what he was doing all I could do was widen my eyes in shock as his lips moved closer to mine.

Before he could close the small space between us he disappeared. Well, he didn't disappear, I guess. That wasn't possible, or logical, considering I could still see him. He was just further away from me now. His hands at my waist were gone and I stumbled, knocked off balance by his sudden departure. I grabbed onto the bar behind me in order to stay on my feet.

It took a moment for my alcohol soaked brain to process what had happened. To realize that Jesse hadn't moved away of his own accord. To notice Adrian standing next to him, unconcealed rage on his face. Adrian had ripped Jesse away from me.

"What the hell?" Jesse yelled, spinning around and pushing Adrian off of him.

"Exactly!" Adrian yelled back, causing me to wince. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Zelkos?"

Jesse backed up a step and straightened his now crumpled—along with wet—shirt. "I was having some fun with a feeder. Jeez. I didn't know you were the party police."

Adrian made a growing sound at Jesse's sarcasm. Or... no. He wasn't mad because of the party police comment, it was because of the word feeder. Even as buzzed as I felt, a shudder still ran through me at the word. Jesse thought I was a feeder.

"She's not a feeder, you dumb ass!" Adrian yelled, pushing Jesse away from me again. "She's an Alchemist. You didn't notice the gold lily on her cheek? Or are you just too fucking stupid to know what an Alchemist is?"

My eyes were wide as I watched Adrian scream. He pushed Jesse again and the other boy backed up, his hands in the air like he was surrendering. He looked slightly astonished that Adrian was acting that way. Everyone at the bar was watching them. I turned to look at the rest of the room and it looked like almost everyone at the party was watching them. I thought I saw Rose on the other side of the room, her eyes like saucers and her mouth hanging open. On second thought, it was definitely Rose. She was standing with a humongous guy with long brown hair who could only be Dimitri.

I turned my head back to the fight in front of me and let go of the bar. I took a step forward, trying to reach Adrian before he did something stupid, but I was unsteady on my feet and had to grab onto the person next to me for support.

"Adrian," I called, hoping to get his attention.

The second I spoke Adrian turned away from Jesse and looked at me. When he saw me, wobbly and gripping the sleeve of some strangers jacket so I wouldn't fall, he rushed to my side.

"Are you okay?" He asked, but kept talking so I figured I didn't need to respond. "Come here. Let's get you out of here. The cold air will help sober you up a little."

I nodded and exchanged my grip on the stranger for Adrian's arm around my waist. He started to lead me away from the bar when I heard Jesse say, "What a dick! I thought you were cool, Ivashkov!"

Adrian muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't hear it over the steady murmur of the crowd. It was then that I realized someone had stopped the music when the fight broke out. Thank God it didn't escalate passed a shoving match. I remembered the look in Adrian's eye, the unbridled anger he'd had when he looked at Jesse, and knew that I wouldn't have been able to stop him if it had come to blows.

The music started again just as Adrian escorted me outside onto a terrace. It was cold and I didn't have a coat on so Adrian settled me onto a stone bench and then shrugged out of his suit jacket. He sat next to me, pulling the jacket tight around my shoulders. His hands rubbed a trail up and down my arms a few times, trying to generate heat to keep me warm.

I bit my lip and dared to glance up at him. His green eyes met mine for the first time tonight, for the first time in what felt like months, and held like glue. He lifted his hand, hesitating a moment before brushing my bangs out of my face.

"How much did you have to drink, Sage?" he asked softly.

I thought about it, my head feeling slightly less heavy then it had before. "I don't know. Two glasses of champagne. Two and half. And a shot of... I don't know. Tequila, I think? And something that smelled like coffee."

Adrian smiled a little, his fingers still on my cheek. "It's Kahlua, Sage. Packed with sugar and coffee flavor."

I sighed. Great. How many calories had my little drinking binge cost me?

"That was a lot for you," Adrian said, looking concerned. "You've never drank before and you weigh, what? Like a hundred pounds?"

"A hundred and thirteen," I muttered, still worrying about calories.

Adrian ignored my tone.

"You're going to have a killer hangover in the morning, but you'll be alright." He paused, seeming to consider something. "If you let me, I can heal you. It'll clear the alcohol from your system, that way you don't have to—"

"No!" I said adamantly. I shook my head too, but stopped when I almost fell off the bench.

"Okay, okay," Adrian said, steadying me so I didn't topple over. "Forget I said anything. You'll just have to deal with the hangover then."

I rubbed at my eyes with the palms of my hands. I felt clearer, but now I was starting to feel sick.

"You okay?" Adrian asked again. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I wasn't sure if it was to keep me warm or himself.

I wrapped my fingers around the collar of his shirt and looked up at him.

Why was he here?

I hadn't stopped to think about it when we were inside, but now I did. Shouldn't he be off somewhere with the red head?

"Where's your date?" I asked. My voice sounded bitter and angry to my own ears. Adrian frowned.

"Camille?" he asked, sounding confused. "She left. With her boyfriend. I was only keeping her company until he got off work."

"Really?" I asked, more hope and relief in my voice than I wanted there to be.

Adrian smiled and stroked my cheek again. "Really. You thought I'd have a date? When was the last time you even saw me with another girl?"

"That time in L.A.," I blurted before I could stop myself. I was never drinking again. Alcohol really messes with your sense of self-control.

"When you came and picked me up," he nodded. "I haven't been with any girl but you since then. I'm not gonna start now. I told you how I felt."

I nodded, tugging on his collar a little. "You love me," I whispered.

He nodded and pulled me closer, forcing me to lean my head back to look him in the eye. His hands trailed a path up and down my back. He was so perfect. So beautiful. He loved me, he protected me, he waited for me even though I had no right to ask him to do it.

I leaned forward and closed my eyes. "I love you," I breathed.

His hands were on my shoulders before I could close the gap between us. My eyes snapped open and I wondered why he was pushing me back.

"You're not that drunk, Sydney," he said softly. He looked sad.

"I'm a little drunk," I countered, pulling him down towards me. He pushed me away again.

"But not drunk enough that you'll forget all of this. You're still going to be embarrassed in the morning." He brushed my bangs behind my ear again. My hair must have fallen out of its clips, I realized.

"I'm already embarrassed," I said, sitting back and trying to decide by feel how bad my hair looked. "I've done nothing but embarrass myself all night long."

Adrian smirked. "I've been embarrassing myself around you for months now, I survived. Your hair's fine, Sage." He grabbed at my hands and lowered them to my lap.

I smiled and closed my eyes. "Thanks. For helping me whenever I need you. Even though I won't—"

"10!" A hundred or so voices shouted from inside the party.

I looked over and saw everyone inside watching the New Year's ball drop on a big screen TV hung on the far wall.

"9! 8! 7!"

Adrian turned my head back to face him, both of his hands finding my cheeks.

"6! 5! 4!"

"I do love you, Sydney," Adrian hurried to say over the counting. "I'm always going to love you, even if you never say it back." He shrugged. "You know, when you're sober."

"3! 2!"

I looked at him and he looked right back at me. His eyes filled with love and sadness and hope and... I didn't know what else. All I knew was that I wanted to make him stop. I wanted him to look at me with happiness, not sadness. And, for the first time ever, with the alcohol in my system, there was no nagging voice telling me not to. Nothing holding me back.

"Adrian, I do—"

"1!"

Before I could finish he leaned forward, my face cupped between both of his palms, and kissed me. My eyes fluttered shut and it was like the first time he'd kissed me all over again. I melted. His lips were soft and firm and I kissed him back with everything I had in me. My hand found his collar again, pulling him closer, before I wrapped both arms around his neck and threaded my fingers through his hair. A cold chill went through me as Adrian's jacket dropped from my shoulders and landed on the bench behind me.

Through the fog of alcohol, or maybe it was the ecstasy of the kiss, I could hear the shouts of Happy New Year'scoming from inside. I didn't care. Adrian was kissing me. What else was there to care about?

When we finally pulled away to breathe Adrian picked his jacket up and put it back on my shoulders. The silence spread between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I wasn't sure what to say to him. No matter what my body and mind wanted, I knew, deep down, that the two of us couldn't happen. Nothing had changed.

I realized, belatedly, that the mixture of the cold and the kiss had sobered me up a little. It was easier to think now. Easier to rationalize and worry. For a moment, I sort of missed the buzz from the tequila.

"I know," Adrian said, his hand finding mine and giving it a squeeze. "It doesn't change anything. You're still an Alchemist and I'm still Moroi. It's fine. But at midnight on New Year's you're supposed to kiss the person you want to spend the next year with. It's tradition." He gave my fingers another tight squeeze and smiled tenderly down at me. "And I want to spend all of my years with you. So I didn't have anyone else to kiss. Look at it as you did me a favor, alright, Sage? You kept me from being alone on New Year's."

He was trying to ward off another freak out. Quell another lecture before I could start. Stop me from running off again.

But I wasn't running anywhere. I probably couldn't run if I'd wanted to.

I squeezed his fingers back and tried for a smile. "You kept me from being alone, too. Or worse," I said thinking back to what had happened inside. That guy Jesse had thought I was a feeder. Who knows what he would have tried to do?

Adrian looked upset for a moment by the mention of Jesse, but shook it off and stood. He helped me up, keeping a tight grip on my hand. For support, he said, because I was still drunk.

"We need to get inside. I think my hair gel's frozen," he said lightly, walking back in the direction of the party.

I pulled back on his hand a little. "I don't want to go back inside," I said quietly. "Can you take me back to my room, please? I don't feel very good."

Adrian nodded and turned us around so we could walk down a set of stone steps that led off the terrace and into the palace gardens.

"We should probably stop and get you some coffee, too," he said, smiling. His fingers were still tightly intertwined with mine and I didn't let go.

"Coffee would be great," I said leaning into him a little and smiling despite the queasy feeling in my stomach.

No one was around to see the two of us together, fingers laced and leaning on each other. And even if they did, what were they going to say?

I was drunk, after all.


	11. Woken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jill deals with the consequences of her lingerie scheme. (Sequel to Ch. 7 - Lace)

"Adrian," Sydney whispers breathlessly.

She's straddling my hips, leaning forward to kiss my chest. It feels too good and the fact that I can see straight down her... lingerie... is only adding to my sensory overload. I need to calm down or tonight's going to get a lot less fun really fast.

I flip her onto her back, taking control of the situation. I kiss her roughly, loving the way she sighs into my mouth. My hands graze her sides, pushing up the see through black lace.

Oh god, even Jailbait's photo didn't do this garment justice. When Sydney first walked into the bedroom wearing it I nearly passed out. I mean, Adrian Ivashkov has seen his share of sexy lingerie, but seeing Sydney wearing it was something else entirely. She'd demonstrated a confidence that she didn't always show when it came to her sexuality and pushed me down on the bed, climbing on top of me.

I'd closed my eyes, letting her run the show for a little while, but I have to take control back now if I want it to last more than fifteen seconds. She has a power over me most other women don't. No other women, in fact.

I run my hand across her flat abdomen, up over her ribs. I hesitate, unsure if I want to push the thin black fabric out of my way, or leave it. I leave it, for now, bunched over her ribs, my hands wandering back down to her hips.

"Adrian," Sydney whimpers my name again and it's like electric shocks running through my veins. I love it when she's all needy like this. I look up to see her watching me, her chest heaving. I kiss her belly button, letting my tongue dip inside. Her hips buck slightly as she smiles down at me, biting her lip, the look in her eyes daring me touch her.

I love her like this. All wild and free. Who would have known my beautiful, repressed Alchemist could be such a sex kitten in bed? Well, I sort of always assumed she'd be fantastic. She's so damned feisty all the time, it had to spill over into the bedroom.

I kiss her stomach one last time before dipping my head lower...

###

I woke up with a jolt, hot sweat dripping down my back. I was still breathing heavily from all the excitement.

Not my excitement, of course, but Adrian's.

Sydney's little birthday present had clearly gone over well. Not for the first time tonight, I regretted suggesting Sydney get lingerie for Adrian's birthday gift. I really, really wished I hadn't seen that. Voyeurism was totally not my thing.

 _Serves me right for going to bed early on a Saturday night_ , I thought.

The bond was always harder to block when I was sleeping. I'd wanted to stay up, wait for them to fall asleep before me, but I'd passed out due to sheer boredom.

I picked up my phone and checked the time. 10:30pm. They'd be at it for a while still, judging by what they were doing just a minute ago. I had two choices as far as I could see. One, turn on the TV and wait them out, or two, get dressed and find something to do. It was only 10:30pm, after all. And I did have all of this pent up adrenaline from all of Adrian's birthday activities...

I smiled to myself, thumbing through my contact list.

Maybe Eddie was still up.


	12. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney is rescued from Reeducation, but has a very important goodbye to give before she can live happily ever after with Adrian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I will be better about updating this. Instead of uploading a lump of chapters, from now on I will upload one a day until they're all up. I don't know if I'll write any new ones after I've uploaded the original 72, but I can always be persuaded ;)

"My God, I've missed you," Adrian whispered roughly against my neck and then pulled back to kiss me again.

He lay half on top of me, our legs tangled together, on an uncomfortable bed in some cheap motel in the middle of nowhere. He hadn't stopped kissing me since we'd parted ways with the others and gotten the motel room. Not that I wanted him to. I'd missed him more than I could articulate, so our lack of words was fitting.

It still amazed me that he'd actually come for me, saved me from the hell the Alchemists had condemned me to. I'd known in my heart that he'd never give up on me, but it was hard to imagine Adrian Ivashkov, the lazy, womanizing alcoholic that most people saw him as, coming to my rescue. He and some of his friends— _our_ friends—had helped him break into a reeducation center and get me out. Thankfully, before the Alchemists had enough time for their brainwashing to seep in and corrupt my mind.

But even though their tactics hadn't worked yet, it didn't mean reeducation had been fun. They'd done all sorts of painful and evasive things and I hated them. Hated what they did and why they felt they had the right to do it. Just because I was in love with a vampire. I didn't want anything to do with that group anymore. I wanted to be as far away from them as possible. And as far as I understood, that was the plan.

"So what now?" I asked after I'd caught my breath a little. I wanted to know the specifics of everything. Where, what, when, why, and how.

Adrian leaned up on his elbow and brushed my bangs from my face. "We leave the country," he said, knowing without further explanation that I meant the plan and not what were we going to do now after our prolonged make out session. "Maybe go to South America. Not many Moroi or Alchemists there. Plus, I could hawk my paintings on the street to tourists and you could fix all the local crappy cars. We'll be set for life!"

He smiled at me and I kissed him again. His "plan" for our life wasn't the greatest, but I knew he wasn't serious. At least, not entirely.

"You could do much better than selling your paintings to tourists," I teased.

"Oh, I know," he said with an air of arrogance that I knew was only a defense mechanism. "But I don't want to draw too much attention to us and I figured being an internationally famous artist will get us caught pretty fast. So tourists with fannypacks it is."

I smiled, but my retort died on my lips when I realized something. "You're giving up your life to be with me," I said sadly. "Your friends, your family, your future. You're throwing it all away because of me."

Adrian sighed and ran his fingers over my, unfortunately, still tattooed cheek. "Our friends understand, Sage. And you're my family _and_ my future. Besides, you've already given up everything for me. Now it's my turn."

He bent to kiss me again and I melted into that kiss. I felt like putty, like jelly. Like there was no substance to me at all and I might float away. The past two months had been the worst in my life, but this made up for it. He made everything worthwhile.

After awhile another thought occurred to me. I pulled away and sat up, knowing he wasn't going to like my next request. He sat back against the headboard and watched me fidget with the cheap, stiff sheets.

"I need to see my family," I said. "Or, my mother, really. I need to see her before we... go."

Adrian looked torn. I knew he knew how I was feeling. He hadn't seen his mother since she'd gone to jail. I saw the indecision on his face and knew he wanted to give me what I wanted, but he was also worried about protecting me.

"I don't know, Sage," he said slowly. "It's risky. We can get a message to her saying you're fine, but seeing her..."

"I need to see her, Adrian. She needs to see me," I told him firmly. We could go to whatever third world country he wanted to afterward, but this I wasn't budging on. I _would_ see my mother before we left.

He exhaled sharply, clearly agitated, and somehow I knew it wasn't directed at me, but at our situation. "It's dangerous. Extremely dangerous. If we could even get a message to her to meet us, the Alchemists are probably expecting it. They'd follow her right to us."

I bit my lip. "We have to try. _I_ have to."

A full minute passed before Adrian leaned forward and pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. "Okay, Sage. _We'll_ try. But I don't like this at all. I want to put that on record now so in case everything goes to hell I can say I told you so."

I laughed, but we both knew it wasn't entirely a joke. This was dangerous and could get us both in a lot of trouble, but I had to do it. I didn't have a choice, just like I didn't have a choice about who I fell in love with. I needed to see my mom one last time before I disappeared forever.

**###**

Three days later—and much longer than we should have still been in this country for, according to Adrian—we pulled up in front of an outdoor cafe in a nondescript, black Honda that Adrian had bought this morning from a shady looking man for a few hundred dollars. Adrian put the car in park, but didn't turn off the engine, just in case.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly, as I searched for my mother's familiar face among the cafe's patrons. I spotted her, alone at a table in the back where no one would notice us, and began opening the car door.

"Yes. There she is," I said. I turned back and kissed him quickly before hopping out of the car. "Give me five minutes."

I'd taken a whole two steps in my mother's direction when I noticed the man walking towards her. He was tall, with sandy blonde hair and a lily tattoo glimmering on his cheek. My heart nearly stopped when I saw him. He hadn't noticed me yet and I briefly thought about hopping back into the car and telling Adrian to hightail it out of here, until I saw the three styrofoam cups he was carrying.

Three?

I looked around, searching the faces for other lilies, but there were only smiling couples and laughing teens. An old woman sat at a bus stop across the street, knitting. I could find no signs that anyone was watching the two at the table, or that they were waiting for a third party to show up besides me.

"Psst!"

I quickly turned my head, keeping my peripheral vision on the table in the back.

"Why are you just standing there?" Adrian asked through the open car window.

"Because," I whispered knowing he'd hear me, "my dad's here."

There was a long pause from Adrian and then, "Get in the car, Sage. Your mother knows you're fine. Let's just go."

I couldn't blame him for his worry about my father. I was petrified of what him being here meant, but I also couldn't leave without speaking to my parents. They were right there and, whatever his intentions, I wanted to see my father before I disappeared forever. I only wished my sisters were here, too.

"I'll be right back," I told him, ignoring his request. "Four minutes."

I stepped forward, one foot at a time, just trying to remember to breathe as I approached their table. My mother noticed me first and she sucked in a breath at the sight of me. Her eyes filled with tears as she leaped from her seat and threw her arms around me.

"Oh God, Sydney," she cried into my hair. "Oh, thank God! I've been so worried about you." She pulled back to look at my face and I worked hard to keep my own tears in check. There was no time for a breakdown at the moment.

"Those damned Alchemists," she said, her tone seething with hatred. It shocked me a little to hear, but I understood it. It was how I felt. "Did they hurt you? Are you okay? How did you get away? Why did a dhampir boy whisper this address to me in the grocery store yesterday?"

I didn't have time to explain all of that to her. _Oh, well, my vampire boyfriend and I asked Eddie, one of our friends, to stalk you and deliver a cryptic message telling you to be here at this exact time and hope that you showed up_. That would only leave her with a million more questions, so I ignored it.

"I'm fine, Mom," I said instead. My father stood and moved to stand behind my mother, who let me go and moved to the side so I was now standing face to face with my father. "Sir," was all I could think to say.

He watched me with that same cold demeanor he always did. What I saw in his eyes was exactly what I had known would be there, but I'd foolishly let myself hope anyway. He looked angry and disappointed. I watched his eyes take in my jeans and T-shirt with obvious disgust.

"Sydney," was all he said, but it conveyed everything he didn't say. It told me exactly what a failure my father thought I was. A washout. A traitor. A _vamp-lover_.

For a few seconds I just stood there, feeling like the same girl I had been just a few months ago. A girl trapped by her demanding father and the rigid group she was tied to. But I wasn't that girl anymore. Adrian was in the car waiting for me and I was free. We were going to be free.

"I wanted to say goodbye," I said quietly. "I have to go, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"Leave?" Mom said, starting to panic. "What do you mean? Where will you go?" She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "No. We'll protect you from the Alchemists. Tell her, Jared. Tell her what we said."

Dad just shook his head silently, causing more tears to spill down Mom's cheeks. "I think it's best if she does leave," he finally said.

" _Damn you_!" Mom cursed. "She's your _daughter_! Don't you even care about that?" She stepped away from him, closer to me. "You have no heart. Just like the rest of them," she said, disgust in her voice.

My mouth hung open, shocked by her words. I'd heard my parents fight before, mostly about the Alchemists, but I'd never heard her speak to Dad like that. I was pretty sure Dad hadn't heard anyone speak to him like that either, based on the way his eyes widened.

"It's not that I don't care," he explained, and for the first time in my life, he looked flustered. "But she was sent to reeducation for a reason. It was warranted. She's gotten much too close to those creatures." He made the Alchemist sign of evil against his shoulder before continuing. "She probably had them help her escape the Alchemists' care based on the dhampir that cornered you," he told Mom.

Mom shook her head and opened her mouth to say something, maybe argue back, but she stopped short, her eyes going wide as she noticed something over my shoulder. I spun, fearing a group of men in business suits, lilies glittering on their cheeks, ready to grab me. What I saw was almost as horrifying.

Adrian had gotten out of the car and walked over to where we stood. He was less than five feet away from my parents. Close enough that he had most certainly heard every word my father had said. And probably some my dad hadn't said, he was just that good at reading people.

I watched as my father froze in shock at the sight of a Moroi standing so close in the middle of a crowded public place. A _human_ place. His hand seemed to move to his shoulder on instinct, making the sign of evil for the second time in less than a minute.

"Adrian," I said softly. "Please."

His eyes, hard with anger, moved from my father's terrified face and met mine. He knew I wanted him to get back in the car, but he refused. He shook his head and stood his ground. He even moved closer to me in some male, testosterone-filled show of dominance.

"Sydney," Dad said slowly. "Step away from him." He waved his hand in a gesture that said I needed to come stand by him.

I sighed, wishing Adrian had agreed to let me come here alone.

"Mom, Dad," I said. "This is Adrian." When they didn't immediately relax at the knowledge that I _knew_ this vampire, I added, "It's okay. He's a friend."

Mom recovered first, but then again she was probably more shocked than scared. "This... Is this one of the people who helped you escape?" she asked.

I nodded and Mom relaxed, giving Adrian a tentative smile.

"Thank you," she said kindly. I could hear the sincerity behind her words and knew she truly appreciated him helping me get out of reeducation.

"It's no problem, ma'am," Adrian said, smiling gently. He offered his hand cautiously, aware that my parents might not be up for shaking hands with someone they considered evil. That realization broke my heart, a little.

Mom looked between his face, my face and his hand for a moment, before reaching out to take it. Before she could, though, my father regained his composure and intercepted her. He held her hand tightly, looking at me with a new kind of shock and fear.

"It's true," he whispered. "Isn't it?"

I wasn't sure what he meant, but I had a bad feeling about it. When I didn't respond he continued.

"The Alchemists. They said you... That you'd... gotten... _close_." Every word out of his mouth seemed pained and I felt horrible for it. I knew what he meant now, and I couldn't bare the thought of him knowing. Of him being disgusted. Tears sprang to my eyes and I had to look away.

"What are talking about, Jared?" Mom demanded.

"This... this _monster_ has been taking advantage of our daughter!" Dad's voice was filled with such unconcealed rage that I had to look back up. His face was bright red and he looked on the verge of attacking Adrian. It was the most emotion I'd ever seen from him.

Adrian's face, on the other hand, had gone perfectly blank. He was trying not to yell, but he also looked like he didn't want anyone to see how much my father's words hurt him. Seeing that pain hidden away in his emerald eyes made me feel defensive.

"Adrian has _never_ taken advantage of me," I said. "He would never do that."

"He's that Ivashkov boy, right?" Dad asked. "He's a spirit user. He can make you believe things, mess with your mind." He actually looked almost pleased for a moment. "That's why you're acting like this. He's compelling you to do these things."

"Adrian would _never_ hurt me," I raged. "You want to know who hurt me, Dad? Do you? You want to know what the Alchemists did to me while they had me locked up? Do you want to know about how they strapped me to a table and injected me with mind altering serums until I wasn't sure of my own name? Or how they brought in a Strigoi while I was under and threatened to let him have me? Because this man," I gestured to Adrian, who had stiffened during my speech, "is the one who saved me from all of that! He got me away from your precious Alchemists. And if you think that the man who saved me, the man who loves me more than his own life, is evil, than you need to think again."

My dad looked shocked by my outburst, my mother looked sort of proud and Adrian... Adrian had a glimmer in his eye that left me with the impression he wanted to throw me on one of the wrought iron cafe tables and kiss me breathless, but I ignored that and the butterflies it caused.

"We need to go now," I said, calmer now. I turned to Mom and hugged her. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay. They'll come for me. The only chance we have is to disappear."

"We?" Mom asked, her eyes darting to Adrian.

"Yes," I said, looking back at Adrian. "We."

He reached forward and took my hand, lacing our fingers together, getting ready to drag me back to the car.

Dad made a choking noise in the back of his throat when he saw our fingers weaved together like that, but instead of going off on a lecture about how I'd been tempted by evil or whatever, he gave Adrian a deadly look. "If you hurt my daughter I _will_ kill you."

My mouth dropped open. I couldn't have been more shocked if he'd leaned forward and kissed Adrian on the lips. Adrian, for whatever reason, didn't seem to think my father's behavior was all that odd. He gave him a hard look in return and nodded.

"Every time she hurts it's like a piece of me dies inside," Adrian said fervently.

His words caused warmth to spread over my body, from both love that he felt that way and embarrassment that he'd just said that to my father.

The two men continued to stare at each other for so long that I turned to Mom in confusion. She shook her head, silently telling me not to interrupt whatever was going on.

Finally, through gritted teeth, Dad said, "Do you love her?" and I felt my cheeks flame.

"More than I love myself," Adrian said. I imagined him following that comment up with something like, "and if you knew me, you'd know how much I love myself," be he didn't. There was no trace of humor in his eyes right now.

"Then take care of her," Mom said, surprising everyone by stepping forward to pat Adrian's shoulder. "Protect my baby."

"Till my dying breath," Adrian whispered to her, causing her to tear up again.

She stepped forward and hugged me one last time. "He seems like a good boy," she whispered into my ear. "You'll be safe with him."

I pulled back and gave her a reassuring smile. "I know."

To my utter disbelief my father stepped forward and awkwardly wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I hesitated a moment before hugging him back.

"Do you trust him?" he said, not bothering to whisper the way Mom had. Why would he? He knew Adrian could have heard him even if he hadn't been standing close enough to hold my hand.

"Yes," I answered without any hesitation. "I trust him."

"Do you love him?" The words were strained and quiet, but he'd said them clearly enough for me to hear.

Like before, it shocked me that my father would ask such a question. In his eyes Adrian was a monster, why would he care if I loved him? What did it matter if he loved me?

"Yes," I said again, making my voice firm and unwavering. I didn't want him to have any reason to think otherwise.

He released me from the first hug we'd shared since I was a child and looked between me and Adrian. "Then go," he said. "But I need a way to contact you."

Adrian opened his mouth to protest, but my father cut him off, looking at me.

"I will not have my daughter disappear with some boy, vampire or not, without me having a way to get in touch with her. I'm not going to rat you out to them, Sydney." He didn't elaborate on who they were. He didn't need to. "I'll try to throw them off your trail. But when they stop looking, and they will stop looking eventually, I want you to come home. I'll need a way to let you know when it's safe."

I saw a small smile form on my mother's lips as my dad spoke. I looked back and forth between the two of them. Mom's hopeful smile and my dad's fierce gaze, unlike the cold one he usually wore. There was still anger and even disappointment in his stare, but the resolve to protect me I saw in his eyes overshadowed all of that.

I looked up at Adrian and nodded once. He bit his lip, but then turned his gaze towards my father. "Someone will be in touch, then," he told him and then tugged on the hand he still held. "We've got to go now, Sage."

I nodded and took a step back toward the street where the black Honda still sat, engine on, waiting.

"Tell Carly and Zoe that I love them and that I'm sorry," I said, fighting the tears in my eyes.

Mom nodded back, wiping at her own tears. My parents continued to watch us as Adrian and I got into the car. I grabbed the keys from him, unable to stand sitting in the passenger seat right now. I needed the comfort and distraction of driving or else I might breakdown.

As I pulled away from the curb, I gave them one last look, the people who'd raised me. My mother looked the strangest mix of sad, fearful and relieved. My father, for whatever it was worth, looked upset and for the first time in my life, I was pretty sure it wasn't with me.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asked as we pulled out into traffic and drove away. He reached over and took my right hand in his, giving it a small squeeze.

I thought about the prospect of freedom after almost nineteen years of being told what to do, what to say, what to think and feel, and it was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I squeezed his hand back and smiled.

"I will be."


	13. Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney is called to the Moroi Court when Abe comes across a mysterious set of books that seem to tell Sydney's future. Weirder still, that future seems to be linked to Adrian Ivashkov, of all people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of the "Read the Books" series within this series of one-shots. The other parts are on their way :)
> 
> Feel free to let me know what you think!

I didn't like being in the Moroi Court.

I may have been here before, but it wasn't like that other time had held good memories for me. I liked it even less that I'd been summoned here by Abe Mazur. That man was as sinister as a serpent. His nickname in Russia, _zmey_ —or snake—was totally fitting.

I paced around the empty meeting room waiting for anyone else to show up. The door opened and I nearly hugged Rose when I saw her.

"Daughter of mine," Abe smiled from his seat on the couch, "so nice of you to finally join us. I thought young Sydney here might actually wear a hole in the floor while we waited."

I scowled at the Moroi man, trying to keep the fear out of my eyes. I was scared of Abe and everything that had to do with our little business arrangement. I hated myself for making any sort of arrangement with the man, but I wouldn't change things. He had helped me get some little semblance of justice for my sister Carly.

"Well, we're here now," Rose smiled, entering the room. It was then that I noticed Rose wasn't alone. Dimitri was with her, but so were the newly anointed Queen, Vasilisa, and her boyfriend, Christian. Jill Mastrano and Eddie Castile were also present. I had only seen Eddie once in passing, but I'd spent some time with Jill. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Sydney!" she smiled. "What are you doing here? Do you know what's going on?"

As more and more Moroi and dhampirs streamed into the room it was hard to focus on her words, but I managed a polite smile and told her I had no idea what we were doing here.

Sonya Karp, a Moroi woman who'd, until recently, been Strigoi was the last to come in. I liked Sonya, as far as one could like a vampire of course, but I was still a little nervous around her. I'd seen her as a Strigoi and every time I looked at her now all I could see were blood red eyes and vicious fangs.

"Well, now that we're all here can you please tell us why?" I said, hoping my bravado hid my nerves. I directed the question at Abe, taking a seat as far away from him as possible.

He simply smiled and crossed his legs. "We're not all here yet," was all he said.

I looked around, confused. Who else could possibly need to be here for whatever he had planned? I was two seconds away from getting up and walking out. I didn't care what he tried to blackmail me with, no way was I staying here one second longer if he was only going to—

"I don't think he's coming," Jill said quietly.

I turned to look at her, unsure of what she meant, but everyone else seemed to understand. It was like everyone in the room collectively looked away. Rose looked down at her hands in her lap. Was it just me or did she look inordinately guilty about something?

"I can go talk to him again," said Lissa, looking at Rose for approval. "I'll tell him it's really important..."

Rose shook her head. "No. Leave him." She looked across the room toward her father. "Can't we just get this over with, old man?"

"No," Abe said in an annoyingly chipper way. "He needs to be here, too. I told you—"

Just then the door opened again and a tall Moroi guy walked in. He looked a little wobbly as he took in all of the faces in the room. "Is it my birthday already?" he asked. "You forgot to yell surprise."

I remembered him as Rose's ex-boyfriend, Adrian Ivashkov. His eyes twinkled a brilliant shade of green, but looked a little glassy as he stumbled over to a chair and sat down. I realized he must be drunk, even though it was a little early, by Moroi time, to be drinking.

From the way he avoided looking in Rose's direction and the way she sighed when she noticed he was drunk, I assumed their relationship hadn't ended well.

"Thank you for joining us, Adrian," Abe said, looking amused. "Now that we're finally all here, we should get started."

"We should," I repeated hoping he'd just tell us what was going on already so I could leave.

Abe smirked, amused by my impatience. "Now, now, Sydney. This concerns you most of all. Really, you should be thanking me for even showing you this."

"Showing her what?" Adrian asked, perking up a little in his seat.

Somehow Abe seemed to think Adrian's question was funny. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough. It involves you, too. As well as sweet little Jill."

He gestured at Jill and her eyes went wide. "Me?" she squeaked.

"If you don't tell us what's up I swear, old man..." Rose said, letting her threat trail off.

"Alright, alright," Abe finally relented. He stood and walked around to the back of the couch, bending to pick something up. When he came back around he put a box down in the center of the coffee table. "I managed to get my hands on these," he said. "Don't ask me how, I'm not going to tell you." I could have sworn I heard him mutter, _You'd never believe me, anyway_ , but he continued. "And I thought I should share them with you. Especially, Sydney, Adrian and Jill, considering."

"Considering what?" I demanded, all of my previous fear going out the window as a new wave of terror washed over me. What was he talking about?

Adrian stood up and, after a moment to regain his balance, walked over and opened the box. Much to my surprise he pulled out a book.

"Books?" he asked incredulously. "You made me leave the best seat at the bar for a box of _books_?" He raised an eyebrow at Abe. "I hope you're not expecting me to read them."

Abe rolled his eyes. "Of course I am," he said. "Look at the covers."

I watched Adrian's brows furrow in confusion, much the same way mine did, as he turned the book in his hand over. It's dust jacket was gold, but I couldn't see the cover from my seat. Adrian's green eyes went wide and he waved the book at Abe.

"Why is Jailbait's face on here?" he asked. "And..." He paused, seeming to think, then pointed at me. "The Alchemist."

"What?" I asked, jumping up and going over to the box. I reached in and pulled out one of the other books. There were six all together, including the gold one Adrian was waving around. The one I grabbed was red and when I turned it over, sure enough, there was a picture of my face, the word Bloodlines scripted across the bottom. I looked at it in disbelief.

"Hey," Rose said, coming up behind me and grabbing the book. "You and Adrian are on this one."

I pulled the book back and then dodged Adrian as he tried to grab it from me, too.

"Come on, Alchemist," he smirked. "I know you probably want to look at my picture a little longer, but let me see."

I scowled. "My name's not Alchemist," I said. "It's Syd—"

"Sydney Sage," he finished for me. "I remember. Now let me see it, huh, Sage?" he said reaching for the book again.

"No," I protested, flipping the book open to have a look inside. "You have your own."

He pouted, but was distracted when Jill waved a blue book at him.

"Here," she said. "You're on this one too, Adrian."

I was too distracted by the book to notice what they were doing. I'd started reading the first page and recognized the narrator immediately. To my shock, horror, and utter disbelief, the narrator of the book was... me.

I closed the book quickly and made the Alchemist sign of evil against my shoulder. How was such a thing even possible? How did Abe have something like this? What ever story these books told, it was my story. And it hadn't happened yet.

"You okay?" a voice asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Adrian and he was giving me a strange look.

"Yes," I said, hoping my fear wasn't coming across in my expression. The last thing I needed was for Abe to notice how scared I was of his little "gift".

"You look like you just saw a ghost," he said, and I was a little stunned at how perceptive he was when he was drunk. Everyone else was fighting over the other four books and looking at the covers, but Adrian had spotted my fear, no problem. He reached out for the red book again. "Let me see."

I shook my head vehemently, not wanting him anywhere near this book or my thoughts. It wasn't until he shrugged and opened the gold book he still held that I realized all of the books were most likely narrated by me. Adrian flipped the book open backwards, going straight to the end.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Skipping to the good part," he said like it should have been obvious. After a few moments his eyes widened slightly at something he saw on the page and he flipped back a few more pages. Now _he_ looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"What?" I asked, leaning forward to try to read over his shoulder. It turned out to be nearly impossible with his greater height.

His green eyes looked like huge emeralds in his pale, sculpted face and I couldn't help but think how attractive he was. Not to me, of course, but for a Moroi. Moroi were all pretty attractive, but there was something about Adrian that set him apart from the others in this room. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, though.

Suddenly, Adrian closed the book he'd been reading and grabbed the red one from me before I could stop him. "We need to read these in order," he said, collecting the other books and putting them back in the box.

I was almost shocked by the way he took over control of the situation. It was such a juxtaposition from the way he'd drunkenly teetered into the room just a few minutes earlier.

He set those emerald eyes on Abe and said, "Is this for real?" He still held the red book in his hand and waved it in the air for emphasis.

Abe nodded, once again taking his seat on the couch. "Yes. As far as I know."

"So this is our future?" His eyes darted to my face for an uncomfortable second before shooting back to Abe. Something in his gaze unsettled me.

"Well, not _necessarily_ ," Abe said, stroking his goatee. "That's why I wanted you to read them. If you know what the future has in store for you you'll be able to... avoid certain unpleasant events."

"So you're helping us, then?" Rose asked. "Or them? I'm still confused. The books are about Sydney, Adrian and Jill. So you're saying something bad happens to them. Something bad enough that you felt the need to prepare us for. That doesn't sound good."

Adrian shook his head, he seemed almost sober now. "But this is real?" he asked again. His voice had almost a desperate edge to it. " _It's real_?"

Abe sighed indulgently and leaned back on the couch. "It could be."

Adrian's eyes darted to my face again, but this time he didn't look away immediately. I stared back as his eyes searched mine for something, I wasn't sure what. It made me uncomfortable to have someone look at me like this. Like they were trying to stare into my soul. I turned away.

"Let's just read it already," said Eddie, speaking up for the first time. "See what it's all about."

Adrian nodded and flipped open to the first page. I cringed, knowing they'd be reading my thoughts. My private, future thoughts. But I was just as intrigued by the books as the rest of them.

Adrian met my gaze one last time, giving me an uncertain half smile that held some emotion that I didn't understand, before starting to read.

" _Chapter 1_ ," he said.


	14. Masterpiece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney and Adrian discuss having kids.

"Shit," Adrian cursed, rolling away from me and falling onto the bed. His eyes were squeezed shut and his hands went to his already disheveled hair. "Shit, shit."

I wasn't exactly sure what to say. I was still catching my breath from our previous activities and, even though I knew the ramifications of what we'd just done, I couldn't think about that while my heart was pounding away in my chest.

"Shit," Adrian muttered again and then turned to face me. "I'm sorry, Sage. That doesn't usually happen. Actually, that's never happened. Ever. I'm always so careful about that... _Shit_! I can't believe I forgot."

"It's on both of us," I reasoned, trying to make him feel better, although now that my heartbeat was beginning to calm I could think again. And, boy, none of it was good.

"I know," he said, but it didn't sound like he knew. "But I've always... Sorry, you don't want to hear about any of that. But that's not something I ever forget." Then his contrite, guilty expression turned into a smirk. "Guess that says something about you, huh?" He even waggled his eyebrows at me like an idiot.

I took a deep breath and ignored him, trying to think logically passed all of the panic that was beginning to rise in my chest. Adrian noticed and stroked my tattooed cheek with his fingertips. It was something he always did when I needed to relax.

"Hey," he said gently, trying to comfort me now. "It was the only time we've ever forgotten. Just once. What are the chances that something happens? We'll be fine."

I automatically started calculating the probability of _something happening_ , but forced myself to stop. Doing that would only drive me insane. He leaned back onto the bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer. He buried his face in my hair and I heard him mutter a few more choice words under his breath.

"Look, it was an accident," I said, back to trying to comfort him. It seemed we were going back and forth on this. "And you're right. What are the chances? And even if something does happen, we'll handle it. In the meantime, we'll just hope for the best."

Adrian's head popped up and he leaned over me, resting his weight on his elbow. "What do you mean _handle it_?" he asked seriously. His green eyes bored into mine as he studied my response.

"I _mean_ ," I started slowly, unsure of his reaction. "If the worst does happen we'll figure it out."

He nodded, looking slightly relieved, and suddenly something occurred to me.

"Do you want something to happen?" I asked. I wasn't sure what emotion was behind the words—fear, anger, elation, curiosity—but whatever it was it was passionate.

Adrian looked thoughtful for a minute, his lips puckered in a very attractive way. "Not really," he finally said. "I don't know. I didn't do it on purpose or anything, but now that I'm thinking about it..."

"No," I said quickly. "We can't have children, Adrian. You know that."

"No, I don't _know_ that," he replied calmly. "Physically, the two of us can have children. Emotionally, I want a family with you. I love you."

"But..." I searched for a logical argument. "I'm only nineteen. I can't have kids when I'm _nineteen_!"

He nodded in agreement. "You're right. We're still pretty young, but you have to admit, it would be kind of awesome to be the cool, young parents."

I wasn't sure if the enthusiastic grin on his face made me feel better or worse.

I sat up, pulling the satin sheets up around my chest, much to Adrian's obvious dismay. "We don't even know for sure what they'd, uh, you know, _be_. I mean, I'm not exactly a standard human."

"You're definitely anything but standard," Adrian joked. "I see what you're getting at, though. We don't know how magic would effect the baby. But we could ask someone, right? Jackie must know something. Or, at least, know someone who knows something."

"I guess," I admitted. Although I really didn't want to ask her or anyone else. It was bad enough looking at Jill and knowing that she knew everything Adrian and I did...

"It wouldn't be bad though, right?" Adrian was saying. "It would be cool if they had magic. It'd be cool if they didn't. I'm not really picky, I guess. I just want to see your eyes staring back at me from a face I helped create," he said.

His fingers were playing along the edges of my hairline, pushing back my tangled hair. I barely contained the contented sigh that bubbled up at his words.

"It's sort of like the ultimate form of art if you think about it." He rested his hand on my abdomen, lightly brushing circles on my bare skin, and smiled at me. "What we just did? We might have just created a masterpiece."

Oh, God. My heart stumbled over itself and I leaned forward to kiss him. _Really_ kiss him. He could say the most romantic things sometimes.

I felt him smile against my lips as he dragged me back down to the mattress. "Did you want to try again or...?"

I laughed and pushed up on his chest, leaning across the bed to reach into the nightstand. When I settled back down I tossed a tiny foil package at him.

"Not right now," I said with a smile. "Ask me again in a year or two... or five."

Adrian grinned and kissed me again.

Still worried about what had happened, I decided that no matter what we'd be okay. And if Adrian's little "masterpiece" was forming inside of me, well... Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.


	15. Pink Pony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian paints Adrianna a surprise. (Part 2 of the Pink Blanket AU)

I ran the paintbrush across the canvas in quick, smooth strokes, finishing up the painting I'd been working on for the last couple of days. I'd been having more and more paintings commissioned lately and I'd been uncommonly busy for a guy who usually did as little as possible, but I'd made time to work on this one. It wasn't for a client or gallery. It was way more important than that.

I stepped back, taking in my genius as a finished product. The painting was good, if I did say so myself. And the recipient of this masterpiece was going to love it.

 _Of course she would,_ I thought, _I painted it_. And I meant that in an I'm-the-best sort of way, not a she-loves-me-and-thinks-everything-I-do-is-fantastic sort of way. Even though that was certainly true, as well.

I was just finishing cleaning up my art supplies when I heard a car pull into the driveway. I smiled to myself and went out to the living room to get the door. Good thing too, because I'd no sooner gotten it open then Sydney fumbled with her keys while trying to get them in the lock, almost dropping the grocery bags she was carrying.

"Whoa, Sage. Give me those," I said, grabbing the bags from her. She smiled gratefully and turned around to get the rest from the car.

I leaned out of the door a little, watching her go. My God, she looked good today. Not that she didn't always look good, but she looked especially good today in a pair of tight jeans and a silky red blouse I'd bought her for her birthday. It was the first time she'd been able to wear it and I gave myself a little mental pat on the back for picking it out. I had awesome taste.

" _DAAAADDYYYY_!"

I had the urge to cover my ears at the high pitched squeal, but with the groceries in my hands it was impossible. I put the bags down on the living room floor and turned just in time to catch a speeding blonde bullet racing towards me. A speeding blonde bullet that most people said was an exact clone of me.

"Daddy! Guess what Mommy got me at the store!" Adrianna said, throwing her arms around my neck as I bent down to grab her. I flipped her up into my arms and stood. She pulled back to show me a big red lollipop wrapped in her delicate little fingers.

"Wow," I smiled. "That looks awesome. Can I have some?" I leaned in close and she pulled the lollipop away from me.

"No!" she laughed, "Here!"

To my surprise, even though it probably shouldn't have been, she waved her little hand toward Sydney and the bag she was carrying from the car. Sydney jumped slightly when a lollipop lifted from the bag and started floating towards Adrianna. She juggled the bag in her arms quickly and grabbed the lollipop before a neighbor could notice it flying around of its own accord.

"Adrianna," Sydney admonished, hurrying over and handing our daughter the lollipop. "You know the rules. You can only do spells in the house during your practice time."

"Sorry," Adrianna said, lowering her gaze and pouting. Even though I hated having to tell the kid no, Sydney was right about using magic outside the house. It'd be bad for everyone if some nosy neighbor noticed. "I just wanted to get the lollipop."

"I know, baby," Sydney said, her features softening at Adrianna's pouty face. If the kid inherited anything from me other than my green eyes, it was that pout. Sydney gave in whenever I made that face, no matter how annoying I was being, and Adrianna was way better at it then I was.

"Mommy's right, though," I told Adrianna, then turned to Sydney. "Can't have Mrs. Kravitz catching Tabitha twitching her nose and popping a play house into the front yard."

Sydney rolled her eyes and mouthed, _She doesn't understand that_. I knew the kid wouldn't understand the reference, but Sydney did. I'd gotten her to watch _Bewitched_ with me recently and she wasn't impressed by it. Guess she didn't think it was as funny I did. But then again, she wasn't the one living with two beautiful, blonde witches.

Adrianna bounced in my arms, her way of saying she wanted down, and I placed her on her feet.

"Here," she said again and shoved the extra lollipop at me. "It was supposed to be for Lily, but now it's for you."

"Oh," I raised my eyebrows at her brusque tone. She was sort of a live wire sometimes, but other times she could be so much like Sydney I wanted to laugh. "Well, thanks."

"Mommy said Lily isn't old enough for candy," she went on perfectly business like, ignoring me. "I said I'd keep it until she gets older, but she said you'd eat it by then anyway, so I might as well just give it you now."

I smirked, first at my wife who lifted her eyebrows, challenging me to say it wasn't true, and then at my surly little daughter. "Mommy was right, like always. Thanks, munchkin," I said, messing up her hair.

"Daddy! Please!" she complained, pulling away and smoothing her hair back down in a way that made her look more like a clone of Sydney than me. Then she unwrapped her lollipop and jumped on the couch to watch cartoons.

When I turned back to Sydney she thrust the grocery bag she was holding at me and said, "Where's Lily?"

I pursed my lips, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. She was in the art studio before, crawling around—"

"Adrian!" Sydney cried, pushing passed me, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Kidding, Sage," I laughed. "Relax. She's napping. I checked on her ten minutes ago."

She rolled her eyes, but flushed the cutest shade of red, embarrassed she'd fallen for the joke. I leaned down and kissed her, and it wasn't a quick one even though our three year old daughter was in the room.

When she pulled away and went to the kitchen, I picked up the other bags and followed her in there, browsing through the bags. I pulled out a box of sugar coated donut holes and raised my eyebrows.

"This looks like something _I'd_ buy," I said, placing the box on the counter.

"Shut up," she said simply.

I smirked. "She gave you the puppy eyes, didn't she? The puppy eyes never fail."

She pulled out a bag of carrots and placed it on the counter. "Don't you have something you can go do?" she asked, trying and failing to sound truly exasperated.

I leaned forward and kissed her again, pulling her against me. "Well, the kid's distracted right now and the Lil Monster should be out for a little while longer. We could sneak away for a couple minutes..."

"Mmm," she murmured against my lips, before pulling away and picking the carrots back up, much to my disappointment. "Go play with your daughter," she smiled. "And we'll discuss our playtime later."

"Yeah?" I asked, sounding a little more desperate than I'd wanted to.

"Oh, yeah," she grinned.

It'd been a while since we'd had any "playtime" so to speak, what with her just having Lily. But if she was feeling up to it again, I was game. I left her in the kitchen and grabbed Adrianna off the couch, throwing her over my shoulder and bringing her into the art studio with me. She giggled the whole way.

"Are we painting?" she asked excitedly, trying to spin herself around to get a look.

"Not today, munchkin," I told her, pulling her down so she was seated comfortably in my arms. "I finished working on something, something really important that I need your opinion on."

"Ooh!" She smiled. Adrianna loved when she got to paint with me, but she loved it even more when I let her decide whether a painting was finished or not.

"Alright, close your eyes." Once she'd obliged, I turned the easel I'd been working on before around, putting the canvas on display. "Open your eyes."

I watched her little face, the face that looked so much like mine, light up when she saw what I'd done. She grinned, leaning forward to get a better look, but knowing not to touch the wet canvas.

"You think it's done?" I asked and she nodded seriously.

She narrowed her eyes, taking in every inch of the painting. "I do."

I heard Sydney walk up behind me and then felt her hand on my back before she squeezed in next to us and looked at the painting. It was colorful, lots of purples and pinks and blues, and unlike my usual paintings this one wasn't an abstract. It was very obviously a big pink pony with a small blonde girl with giant green eyes on its back.

Sydney stifled a laugh when she saw it, but Adrianna was still taking it in like it was a piece in a museum. Finally, she sat back in my arms and looked at me and Sydney very seriously before saying, "It's badass."

I laughed, because what the hell else was I going to do with that statement, but Sydney pinched my hip, looking at me like I was the three year old who'd just cursed.

"Adrian!" was all she said, but I caught the silent lecture that was hidden underneath.

"What?" I asked, putting Adrianna down and trying to control my laughter. "She could have learned that from anybody, Sage!"

Sydney didn't look convinced, but she did shake her head, a grin breaking through on her face.

Adrianna tugged on my sleeve to get my attention. "Can I keep the painting, Daddy?" she asked. "I'll take good care of it."

"Of course, baby. We'll hang it in your room when it's dry," I told her, causing her to hug my leg in utter three year old happiness.

It was a trivial thing really, but it made me happy knowing that I'd made her happy. Sydney smiled at me and when our eyes met I knew it made her happy, too. We both grinned, watching our daughter bounce around planning exactly where in her room the painting was going to go.

Maybe it was the way we'd both grown up, with our fathers constantly getting on us for every little thing, but when Sydney and I first got married we made a sort of unspoken pact that we'd never treat our kids the way we were treated. Even before we were married and had Adrianna I'd always thought, _Hey, if our kids were super smart blonde bombshell's with unrivaled magical powers, so be it_. We'd love them no matter what. Or maybe they'd have dark hair and refuse to apply themselves in school and drink and act out...

Well, we'd have to step in in that case, but as long as we raised them right I figured we could avoid having a mini _me_ running around. The point was, however our kids turned out, we were going to love them and they'd know it.

And from the way Adrianna was grinning up at us, I knew she knew it.

**Author's Note:**

> This collection was originally posted to FF.
> 
> Richelle Mead owns all things Sydney and Adrian, but they're so cute I feel the need to borrow them sometimes.
> 
> Find me on tumblr as [spaztronautwriter](http://spaztronautwriter.tumblr.com)


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